Air force show held for anniversary

Warplanes streaks through the air, trailing lines of red, white and blue smoke across the skies over Beijing on Sunday, as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) puts on an aerial show to mark the 60th founding anniversary of its air force.

Four J-10 fighters and six J-7 fighters from the air force's aerial demonstration team took part in the 21-minute show, staged in the Shahe airport in the northern suburbs of Beijing Sunday morning.

The demonstration also included a skydiving of the air force's paratroopers, who unfolded China's national flag and the PLA flag while in the air.

The PLA airforce had originally planned to stage the aerial demonstration on November 11, exactly 60 years after the air force was founded in 1949.

But the demonstration was cancelled for bad weather conditions that day and was postponed until November 13, when fog and snow again forced the show to reschedule.

Another round of the aerial demonstration would be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Shahe airport, according to sources with the PLA air force.

China held an international forum themed on peace and development in early November, as part of its celebrations for the 60th founding anniversary of its air force.

Air force leaders and representatives from China and 34 other countries attended the forum, which aimed to deepen understanding, cooperation and friendship between the air forces.

Video: D J Clark

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