Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

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The east is red?

By Mariz Tadros

Tomorrow, 1 October, marks the 50th anniversary of the Chinese communist revolution. The people of China, who now number 1.3 billion, as opposed to the 475 million of 1949, will be commemorating the sacrifices made by their ancestors, the tests they endured and the heroes who brought them independence. The Chinese revolution, led by the peasants, was a war of liberation -- liberation from an oppressive feudal system and imperialist power games, and whose goal was national unity. The new Chinese government, vowed Mao, would be a people's democratic dictatorship, directed by the proleteriat and the peasants.

This year's celebrations will aim to be true to the spirit of that historic day half a century ago. Bangzao, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealed that on the morning of National Day 1999, there will be a grand meeting in Tiananmen Square attended by the people. At least one million soldiers and civilians are expected. There will also be a military parade by the People's Liberation Army, to be followed by a gala party, with massive fireworks and all. Similar parties and fireworks are being organised across the country, and all parks will be open to the public from the 1 to 3 October. "The achievements of China in the last 50 years will be highlighted, including those of the last 20 years, since China opened up its economy," Bangzao said.

There will be no foreign heads of state present, but diplomats and envoys living in China will instead be invited to share in the celebrations. There will be no domestic tourists either, as all citizens are banned from travelling to Beijing between 20 September and 5 October. This decision is intended to minimise the threat of public disorder during the extended festivities.

Beijing has been given a facelift for the occasion. In August, the government began a campaign to remove all advertising banners from an area extending from the diplomatic quarter as far as the city centre. Tiananmen Square itself has undergone a facelift, as part of an infrastructure expansion project that also included the international airport and a new subway line, for a total cost of $13.4 billion.

This year's grandiose celebrations have also led to all provincial residents who are living in Beijing without permits being unceremoniously cleared out of the city. This move was just one part of a campaign which also saw 68,000 petty criminals swept off the streets, according to one public security official quoted by Xinhua, the official newsagency. The explicit aim of the three-month campaign was to "eliminate possible trouble and create a better environment for the 50th anniversary." Beggars and prostitutes have also been temporarily removed from view, along with the men who earn their living hawking compact disks and the women who sell beautifully embroidered cloths on the streets of the diplomatic area. However, their absence will doubtless be only temporary, and they will all be back at their stations on 2 October.

From top: the city of Beijing illuminated for the 50th Anniversary celebrations; two girls enjoying a day out; Tiananmen Square; troops on stand-by in 1989 when millions of students joined by workers staged a sit-in protest demanding more freedom and democracy

To mark the 50th anniversary of the revolution, a salary raise was announced two months ago -- a raise which has been billed in the official media as the biggest in the history of modern China. The $84 million cash hand-out to employees, pensioners and laid-off workers is the fourth pubic wage increase since the creation of the People's Republic of China.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, President Jiang Zemin will deliver an 8,000-word National Day address, which will focus on three areas: a warning to Mr Lee of Taiwan of the dangers involved in pursuing his "two states" theory; a renewed emphasis on the Communist Party's commitment to reform, particularly where state-owned enterprises are concerned; and a pledge to lead the country to prosperity through a continuing commitment to science and technology.

It is also expected that Jiang Zemin will expand upon the smooth transition that has led the country from the "democratic revolution" led by Mao Zedong to the "socialist system with Chinese characteristics" advanced by Deng Xiapoing, and finally to the current system, which is reversing some of the changes made by Deng, without quite returning to pure orthodox Maoism.

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