America’s top diplomat chastised Beijing on Tuesday over its violent 1989 suppression of demonstrations demanding reform and democracy.
The same could be said about the US’ response 30 years ago in the immediate aftermath of the crackdown in central Beijing, where hundreds of civilians were killed as Chinese troops moved to retake Tiananmen Square. The bloodshed quickly prompted economic and political sanctions against China from Western nations.
But 30 years later, Beijing has all but given in to pressure to make a full and public accounting of those killed. This is a testament to the Communist Party’s insecurity – and flaws in the assumption that economic integration would loosen the Party
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Jun 04, 2019