China’s leaders stress economic stability ahead of 60th anniversary of Communist rule

October 1st, 2009 KATHMANDU - Under pressure from Beijing to prevent protests by Tibetan refugees on China's 60th anniversary celebrations, Nepal Thursday began rounding up Tibetans here and sending them to detention centres. As the crackdown started on refugee leaders suspected of leading anti-China protests in the past, police arrested 45 Tibetans from different parts of the capital.

October 1st, 2009 BEIJING - A grand flag-raising ceremony, firing cannons and a march past down a red carpet in Beijing's Tiananmen Square marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of Communist China on Thursday. Amid 60 gun salutes and 200 national flag guards in olive green uniforms walked down the platform of the Monument to the People's Heroes in the center of Tian'anmen Square.

September 30th, 2009 Empire State Building honors China, riling criticsNEW YORK — Critics of China's communist government are protesting plans to light the top of New York's Empire State Building red and yellow to honor that nation's 60th anniversary. Several supporters of Tibet protested Wednesday outside the iconic building, where a lighting ceremony is planned.

September 30th, 2009 Empire State Building lights anger China criticsNEW YORK — The Empire State Building has been lit in red and yellow in honor of communist China's 60th anniversary, amid criticism of the gesture. The building is routinely lit with different colors to mark holidays and big events, but opponents have questioned whether Wednesday's lighting was the right gesture to commemorate a country with a poor human rights record.

September 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday congratulated the Chinese government and people on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic and said that strategic and cooperative partnership between India and China had developed over the years. In a message to Premier Wen Jiabao, the prime minister said: "This is an important milestone in the life of China and an occasion for celebrations of your great nation's many achievements in the last 60 years.

September 21st, 2009 Jets soar over Beijing as China prepares for Oct 1BEIJING — Dozens of fighter jets and other warplanes soared over Beijing on Monday as China stepped up preparations for the 60th anniversary of communist rule, tightening security with restrictions on knife sales and plans to ground flights on Oct. 1. The planes and helicopters flew in formation over Chang An Avenue, the major boulevard that runs east-west through the city and across the top of Tiananmen Square.

September 20th, 2009 China's Hu says maintaining growth will be arduousBEIJING — China's President Hu Jintao said Sunday the country faces difficult challenges in maintaining stable economic growth and social stability, and called for efforts to strengthen unity among the people. "The task of dealing with the blow of the international financial crisis and maintaining stable and relatively fast economic development is arduous," Hu said.

September 18th, 2009 Man stabs 2 to death, wounds 12 in BeijingBEIJING — A man stabbed two security guards to death with a knife and wounded 12 other people in central Beijing, despite increased security ahead of the 60th anniversary of Communist rule in China. Zhang Jianfei, 46, of northeastern Jilin province, allegedly attacked the people late Thursday in Dashilan, the oldest commercial street in Beijing near the southern end of Tiananmen Square, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

September 17th, 2009 Man stabs 2 to death in BeijingBEIJING — A man stabbed two people to death with a knife and wounded 12 others in central Beijing, which has been under increased security in preparation for China's 60th anniversary. Zhang Jianfei, 46, of northeastern Jilin province, allegedly attacked the people late Thursday in Dashilan, the oldest commercial street in Beijing near the southern end of Tiananmen Square, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

September 3rd, 2009 New protest in Chinese city torn by July riotBEIJING — Chinese residents protested deteriorating public safety Thursday in the western Chinese city of Urumqi where deadly ethnic rioting in July killed nearly 200 people, eyewitnesses said People living near the city center reached by telephone said hundreds, possibly thousands of members of China's majority Han ethnic group had gathered downtown to denounce the regional government and deteriorating law and order in the city of 2.5 million. Despite official claims of calm returning, safety fears have remained high since the July 5 riot among members of the region's main Uighur ethnic group who targeted Han, residents said.

August 1st, 2009 China army called on to keep order on anniversaryBEIJING — China's military celebrated its 82nd anniversary Saturday, with an editorial in the official paper calling on the armed forces to maintain social stability in the wake of unrest on the fringes of its territory. The People's Liberation Army, the world's largest with 2.3 million members, should strengthen coordination with local governments to prepare to deal with all kinds of "unexpected" incidents, a front-page editorial in the official People's Liberation Daily said.

July 28th, 2009 China to ban violent online gamesBEIJING — China has banned Web sites from advertising or linking to games that glamorize violence, another step in China's censorship campaign aimed at ensuring social stability ahead of the 60th anniversary of communist rule on Oct. 1. A notice posted on the Culture Ministry Web site on Monday said games that promote drug use, obscenities, gambling, or crimes such as rape, vandalism and theft are "against public morality and the nation's fine cultural traditions." "Such online games promote the glorification of mafia life ...

June 6th, 2009 Poland honors John Paul II with monument in WarsawWARSAW, Poland — Poland on Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's first pilgrimage to his homeland, unveiling a giant cross monument in central Warsaw in honor of the late Polish-born pontiff. The 30-foot (nine-meter) tall white granite cross stands on the site where John Paul II delivered a Mass in 1979 in then-communist Poland.

April 28th, 2009 China launches security campaign for anniversaryBEIJING — China announced plans Tuesday to ramp up public security ahead of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Communist nation, after a similar campaign last year for the Olympic Games. The security campaign, which starts in May, is aimed at ensuring "a steady and harmonious social environment" for celebrations slated for Oct.

March 16th, 2009 BEIJING - The 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu, the state-appointed Tibetan Buddhist leader, Sunday called on the Tibetans to support the Communist Party leadership of China to 'achieve progress and bright future'. 'People living in Tibet should cherish the prosperity and happy lives today,' the Panchen Lama said while visiting a government-sponsored exhibition in Beijing depicting economic and social progress that Tibet has achieved in the past five decades.