China shows off military might at 60th anniversary parade

Nuclear missile carriers and rocket launchers rumbled past Beijing's Forbidden City today as the Chinese Communist party celebrated 60 years in power with its biggest display of military hardware and a weather-modification package.

With elements of both the cold war and the new economy, the spectacular parade was intended to showcase how China has modernised and opened up since Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.
Tania Branigan reports on the festivities Link to this audio

But few of the people of Beijing were allowed anywhere near the event. While about 30,000 guests were invited, local residents were told to stay indoors and watch the two mile procession on television.

The parade was a mix of old-fashioned communist-realist kitsch and newfangled weaponry. From the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the politburo reviewed an array of unmanned drones, Long Sword cruise missiles and other modern weaponry, most of which was developed in China and being shown to the public for the first time...