President Xi Jinping paid tribute to each of his predecessors in a speech marking the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up on Tuesday – though none of them were actually there. Some 3,000 Chinese and foreign guests, most of them officials and embassy representatives, attended the event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Flanked by the 20 Beijing-based Politburo members, the president remained seated throughout his 1½-hour speech – unlike Hu Jintao when he addressed the 30th anniversary event in 2008, and Jiang Zemin a decade earlier, both of whom stood for their speeches.
Flanked by the 20 Beijing-based Politburo members, the president remained seated throughout his 1½-hour speech – unlike Hu Jintao when he addressed the 30th anniversary event in 2008, and Jiang Zemin a decade earlier, both of whom stood for their speeches.
