A grand flag-raising ceremony was held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Tuesday morning to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
After trumpet soldiers sounding their clarions, the national flag was escorted into the square by 96 members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Guard of Honor.
Many Chinese have developed the custom to watch the national flag raising ceremony at the Tian'anmen Square on Oct 1 as a way to celebrate the National Day.
Thousands of spectators from all over the country gathered at the square early on Tuesday, waiting for hours to witness the exciting moment. They sang the Chinese national anthem while watching the national flag going up. Many held national flags in their hands and had stickers of the national flag on their faces.
The middle of the square was decked out with an eye-catching 18-meter-tall flower basket decorated for the National Day.
Beijing holds flag-raising ceremony on National Day
Beijing holds flag-raising ceremony on National Day
Foreign ministers from eight Arab and Islamic countries have condemned in the strongest terms recent "illegal" Israeli decisions and measures aimed at entrenching settlement activity and Israeli control in the West Bank.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their position that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory.
They warned against the continued "expansionist Israeli policies" and illegal measures pursued by the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, voicing "absolute rejection of these illegal actions."
The ministers said Israeli measures constitute a blatant violation of international law and undermine the two-state solution, adding that such actions also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region.
The statement urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to compel Israel to halt its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank.
On Sunday, Israel's security cabinet approved several decisions aimed at altering the legal and civil status of the West Bank and strengthening Israeli control over the territory.
Among the controversial measures approved, the cabinet decided to repeal a law banning land sales to Jews, to remove the requirement for special transaction permits, and to revive a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for about two decades.
Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. The settlements it has built there and its ongoing military occupation are widely regarded as illegal under international law.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that measures expanding settlements and extending Israeli civilian authority in the West Bank undermine prospects for establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israeli measures to deepen control in West Bank
