At the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese Communist regime, it is expected that the celebration events will be on the largest scale in decades. Beijing is already on full alert. In recent years, the security measures have rarely been seen to be this high.
Over the past few weeks, the authorities have ordered some residents in Beijing to move out. Several rounds of dress rehearsals also led to massive road closures. Supermarkets and restaurants along the military parade route have had to close.
However, the series of celebration events are open only to invited people. For those living in the city’s center, celebration means more restrictions.
The past several rehearsals sealed off regions in the city’s center where restaurants and supermarkets could not open. During the rehearsals, multiple stops on subway Line 1, a straight east-west line underneath Chang’an Avenue, were closed. Along Chang’an Avenue, where the military parade is to be held, the windows of the high-rise buildings are required to put on reflective strips or curtains. Residential neighborhoods in the area are blocked, with special personnel standing guard at check points. Local residents need to use ID cards to enter and leave the area. During the dress rehearsals, residents were required to pull down the curtains on their windows.
To secure the airspace, the government also banned flying kites, drones, and pigeons in the city center. The Chinese authorities have also implemented radio equipment controls, forbidding the use of wireless local area network (WLAN) outdoor stations, walkie-talkies, and wireless microphones.
To ensure enough sunshine for the celebration, the regime ordered some coal-fired power plants and construction sites in Beijing and surrounding areas in Tianjin city and Hebei province to suspend operations.
Between September 24th and October 3rd, mail deliveries in the city’s center are not allowed. All deliveries into Beijing will undergo strict examination. Passengers taking trains and high-speed rails into Beijing will be subject to multiple safety checks. Inbound vehicles are no exception.
Source: BBC Chinese, September 26, 2019
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-49823665