Indian family at Beijing parade

To symbolically show the world that China is ‘opening-up’ after 60 years of communist rule, Beijing invited 181 foreigners from 53 nations to participate, for the first time, in its civilian parade of 60 floats to celebrate the Republic’s 60th anniversary.

To symbolically show the world that China is ‘opening-up’ after 60 years of communist rule, Beijing invited 181 foreigners from 53 nations to participate, for the first time, in its civilian parade of 60 floats to celebrate the Republic’s 60th anniversary.

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The Chopras were invited to represent India on the float. Over three months and two training sessions, they couldn’t divulge details about their invitation to participate. “It felt like a distinction’’ said Manish Chopra, a mechanical engineer with a foreign firm in Beijing.