China prepares for CPC centenary events

Tiananmen Square closed to the public; activities held across the country

Chinese authorities have closed Beijing’s central Tiananmen Square to the public, eight days ahead of a major celebration being planned to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). The square, which normally attracts tourists from around the country, was barricaded on Wednesday and will remain closed until July 2. Rows of yellow seats and heavy machinery could be seen on the open plaza, which also houses the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China. The party will showcase the country’s rise from civil war and disastrous political campaigns in the early years of Communist rule to market reforms that have created the world’s second-largest economy, with a superpower status rivalled only by the United States.