Tiananmen Square: China raises national flag to mark first day of 2023

An honour guard raised China’s national flag in Tiananmen Square on Sunday to mark the first day of 2023.

Crowds gathered to watch troops take part in the ceremony in Beijing.

In his New Year’s address, Xi Jinping called for unity in his country in his first public comments since China relaxed its Covid-19 policies.

“The epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase, it is still a time of struggle, everyone is persevering and working hard, and the dawn is ahead. Let’s work harder, persistence means victory, and unity means victory,” Mr Xi said.

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