Hong Kong Defenders

Hong Kong Defenders

A national flag-raising ceremony is held at the Ngong Shuen Chau barracks of the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army in Hong Kong on August 30. The flags were raised at around 7 a.m. simultaneously at the barracks of the garrison， which completed its 22nd rotation since 1997 the day before.

Grand Celebration

A grand gathering to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China will be held in Beijing on October 1， National Day， followed by a military parade and mass pageant， according to Wang Xiaohui， Executive Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China（CPC） Central Committee.

President Xi Jinping， also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission， will deliver an important speech at the event， Wang said at a press conference on August 29.

At an evening gala on the same day in Tiananmen Square， Party and state leaders will join the public to watch performances and a fireworks show.

Xi will also present the Medal of the Republic， Medal of Friendship and national titles of honor to outstanding individuals at an awards ceremony to be held at the Great Hall of the People.

In addition， on September 30， Martyrs Day， people from various sectors， including Party and state leaders， will pay tribute to deceased national heroes at the Monument to the Peoples Heroes at Tiananmen Square.

The military parade is an important part of National Day celebrations and is not aimed at any country or specific situation， Cai Zhijun， deputy head of the office of the leading group for the military parade， said at the press conference.

The parade is expected to showcase Chinas achievements in building its national defense and armed forces in the past 70 years and reflect the reform of the peoples armed forces， according to Cai.

Macao SAR Chief Executive

Ho Iat Seng was appointed the fifth-term chief executive of Macao Special Administrative Region （SAR） by the State Council on September 4.

Ho was elected the fifth-term chief executive-designate of Macao SAR on August 25.

His tenure will start on December 20， 2019， according to a decision made at a State Council meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

Li told the meeting that the election was completely in line with the Basic Law of Macao SAR and all other relevant laws， and reflected an open， fair and just principle.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Macaos return to the motherland. Li said the central authorities will continue to implement the Basic Law and the principle of “one country， two systems，” under which Macao people govern Macao and the SAR enjoys a high degree of autonomy， supporting the improved livelihood and harmony of the region.

Nuclear Safety

The highest safety standards are upheld in Chinas development of nuclear energy， a senior environment official said on September 4.

“Chinas supervision and management of nuclear safety is transparent， internationalized and recognized by international organizations，” Liu Hua， Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration， told the press.

Ranking among the highest of all countries in terms of nuclear power safety operation indicators， China has long maintained a good nuclear safety record， according to the Nuclear Safety in China white paper released on September 2.

Chinas safe use of nuclear technology continues to improve， its control of nuclear material is strong， and public health and environmental safety are fully guaranteed， the white paper said.

China has issued a general technical requirement， which has been well received by the International Atomic Energy Agency， Liu said.

“Chinas nuclear power plants will not cause environmental disasters，” Liu added.

Currently， nuclear power accounts for only 4 percent of electricity in China， below the level of some other countries， according to the official.

Sporting Plan

A new plan， titled Outline for Building a Leading Sports Nation， was issued by the General Office of the State Council， aiming to develop China into a modern sports power by 2050.

It targets wider public engagement in sports， better competitive sporting performances， a stronger sports industry， a more vibrant sports culture and enhanced sports exchanges.

According to the document， residents will have easier access to sports facilities that will provide better public services. By 2035， 45 percent of the population is expected to get involved in regular exercise， up from 33.9 percent in 2018.

There is also an emphasis on establishing a modern sports competition system， promoting professional sports and raising the level of competitive sports in a bid to help Chinese athletes to perform better on the global stage. The document highlights the development of the sports industry， which should become one of the pillars supporting Chinas economic progress， as well as developing sports culture across the country and enhancing sports exchanges.