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Reporters flock to Beijing to cover anniversary

By Cui Jia (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-23 08:56

More than 4,500 journalists will descend on Beijing during celebrations for the 60th anniversary of New China.

French journalists reporting on the 60th anniversary of New China smile after getting press cards from the media center in Beijing yesterday. [Feng Yongbin]

To help them out, a press center offering services to the journalists was put into operation yesterday.

"Besides more than 3,200 journalists from the mainland, more than 1,300 journalists from 346 news organizations in 108 countries and regions have registered to report the anniversary celebrations and related events," Zhu Shouchen, the deputy director of the center, said yesterday.

Before the parade on Oct 1, the journalists have the opportunity to join trips organized by the center that showcase the development of China, such as the Xicheng District Service Center for the Disabled and the Beijing Aerospace City, where they can learn about China's space engineering development.

Andrey Kirillov, Beijing bureau chief of Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency, was one of the first foreign reporters to receive a press pass from the center yesterday morning.

Full Coverage:  60th Anniversary of PRC Related readings:  Training for National Day military parade  Soldiers exercise for military parade on Oct.1  Armed policemen mobilized to protect National Day parade  Beijing marches toward big day with parade rehearsal  1999 National Day military parade

"The scale of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of China is huge and I feel that the security in Beijing now is tighter than it was during the Olympics last year," Kirillov told China Daily yesterday.

Kirillov said it is very important for them to cover the celebration because this year is also the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

"Of course what interests me most is the military parade on Oct 1. I really hope I can witness the historical moment at Tian'anmen Square that day," Olga Tanasiychuk, Beijing bureau chief of National News Agency of Ukraine, told China Daily at the press center yesterday.

Tanasiychuk said she actually just came from Tian'anmen Square after taking pictures of the flowers on display. "People look very happy there and they are looking forward to celebrating China's 60th anniversary."

To ensure the journalists' safety, security around the press center has been tightened. Only journalists with passes and designated personnel are allowed to enter after security checks.

The press center's website, www.60newchina.cn, also went online yesterday.

The website, offering the latest news, announcements, media services as well as live broadcast in Chinese and English, provides journalists from both home and abroad with all the information on press events.