China leaves nothing to chance ahead of Communist Party centenary
Officers of the People's Armed Police stand guard outside the Museum of the Communist Party of China that was opened ahead of the 100th founding anniversary of Party in Beijing, China.
Behind roadblocks and hundreds of police in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Friday, fireworks resembling the national flag bloomed over the city as part of secretive and tightly choreographed rehearsal for the 100th anniversary of China's Communist Party.
Beijing has shut down traffic, decked streets in patriotic flower arrangements and national flags, and ramped up surveillance and security this week in preparation for the centenary event on July 1.
The covert rehearsals represent the final stages of a year-long planning effort, designed to glorify Party history and cement domestic loyalty to China's socialist system.
"Without the Communist Party, there is no new China," read new propaganda posters throughout the city.
Plans for the event haven't been fully revealed, though state media and government agencies have hinted at a large-scale theatrical event in Tiananmen Square. A performance is scheduled for Monday at the Bird's Nest stadium, built for the 2008 Olympics.
The anniversary has been preceded by a clampdown on potential dissident activity, including a spate of arrests this year under a law banning the defamation of national heroes, and an online venue for citizens to report 'historical nihilists'," a phrase referring to those sharing unsanctioned versions of Party history.
Upgraded security and its attendant disruption isn't unusual ahead of major political events in the capital, but the fanfare has taken on added importance amid new political challenges to the Party at home and abroad.
(With inputs from agencies)