World Report: October 8, 1999 Vol.5 No.5
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
A Communist Party!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Fifty cannons thundered a salute. Jets roared across the sky, leaving behind red, blue and gold streaks. Hundreds of tanks and rockets and 11,000 soldiers paraded, while thousands of children waved red-and-gold fans. Last week Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, became a sea of color and activity. It was all part of a huge 50th anniversary party that the government threw for itself, at a cost of $36 million.
Fifty years ago, on October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong (Maow Zay-dung) marched victoriously into Tiananmen Square. He announced, "The People's Republic of China is founded!" Mao changed China from a country of peasant farmers and rich landowners to a country governed by communism, a system in which the government owns all the property.
In the past 50 years, China has seen many changes. In 1949, life expectancy was 35 years; today it is 71. Then many Chinese went hungry; today many are prosperous. But prosperity has come at a price.
The communist government tightly controls how people lead their lives. Freedoms are limited. Political opposition is not allowed. Those who oppose the government are put in jail.
Last week's celebration highlighted China's military might and gave its leaders a chance to brag. The "struggle and efforts of 50 years have brought earthshaking changes to China," exclaimed President Jiang Zemin. "Long live the great Chinese people!"
