Russian media laud China's National Day celebration

MOSCOW, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The massive celebration on Tiananmen Square commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) received strong coverage in Russian media on Thursday.

Russian TV channels Vesti and NTV screened the National Day parade in Beijing in its news programs from 6 a.m. Moscow time (0200 GMT). The coverage featured the magnificent Tiananmen Rostrum adorned with fluttering red flags as well as columns of infantry and armed vehicles.

Both Vesti and NTV hosted TV-links with their reporters in Beijing with NTV describing it as the grandest parade the PRC had held since it was founded, NTV said in its report, while showing top Chinese state and military leader Hu Jintao inspecting the armed forces from a black open-roof Red Flag limousine.

Many weapons were shown to the public for the first time, NTV said, adding that the civilian parade was just as impressive as the military one.

Russian netizens were also able to follow the event, with photos and videos of the parade available on Vesti's websites.

Russian news agencies Itar-Tass, RIA Novosti and Interfax also covered the pageant.

Sergei Tihvinsky, a 91-year-old Sinologist who attended the celebration in Beijing as a foreign guest told Itar-Tass he recalled the parade in 1949 when late Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong declared the founding of the PRC.

Tihvinsky, also the honorary chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association, said he witnessed the great achievements China has attained in the past six decades and Russia-China ties had never been better.