BEIJING/TAIPEI — China on Thursday condemned comments by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio marking the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, accusing Washington of distorting history and interfering in its internal affairs. Meanwhile, Taiwan urged Beijing to confront the events of June 4 and pursue reconciliation.
The anniversary commemorates the deadly military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. The event remains one of China’s most politically sensitive subjects and is not publicly discussed or officially marked on the mainland.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Rubio said Beijing’s censorship could not erase the memory of those who died while defending their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.
Responding in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China had long reached a “clear conclusion” regarding what it describes as the political turmoil of the late 1980s. She accused the United States of misrepresenting historical facts, attacking China’s political system, and using democracy and human rights as a pretext to interfere in Chinese affairs.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te used the anniversary to call on Beijing to acknowledge the truth about the crackdown.
“I sincerely hope that China can face up to the June 4 incident, acknowledge the truth, heal the pain, and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue,” Lai wrote on social media.
Commemorations of the anniversary were held in several cities around the world, including Taipei, where many participants were former residents of Hong Kong. In Hong Kong itself, public vigils that once drew tens of thousands have largely disappeared following the implementation of the national security law in 2020.
Police maintained a heavy presence around Victoria Park, the traditional site of Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil. Several individuals were stopped, questioned, or detained, including pro-democracy activist Chan Po-ying, who appeared carrying a yellow flower.
Memorial events were also planned in Germany, Australia, and other countries, highlighting the continued international significance of the Tiananmen Square crackdown nearly four decades later.
Source: Reuters
