The Unknown Rebel - This famous photo, taken by Associated Press photographer Jeff Widener, depicts a lone protester whose actions halted the progress of a column of advancing tanks for over half an hour.

The Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989, also known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, June 4th Incident, or "Political Turmoil between Spring and Summer of 1989" by the Chinese government, were a series of student-led demonstrations in the People's Republic of China which occurred between April 15, 1989 and June 4, 1989. Image File history File links Tianasquare. ... Image File history File links Tianasquare. ... Tank Man stops the advance of a column of tanks. ... Jeff Widener is the Associated Press photographer who took the world-famous picture of The Unknown Rebel in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square Protests. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The protest is named after the location of the forceful suppression of the movement in Tian'anmen Square, Beijing by the People's Liberation Army. The protestors came from disparate groups, ranging from intellectuals who believed the Communist Party-led government was too corrupt and repressive, to urban workers who believed Chinese economic reform had gone too far and that the resulting rampant inflation and widespread unemployment was threatening their livelihoods. Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ... Tiananmen Square (Simplified Chinese: 天安门广场; Traditional Chinese: 天安門廣場; pinyin: ) is a very large plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named for the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. ... (help· info) (IPA peiË© tɕɪŋ˦), a city in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (official name) or Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

After the protestors defied government calls to disperse, a split emerged within the Communist Party on how to respond to the protestors. Out of the party turmoil, a hardline faction emerged and the decision was made to supress the protestors by force, rather than to heed their demands.

On May 20 the government declared martial law and on the night of June 3 and the early morning of June 4, army tanks and infantry were sent into Tian'anmen Square to crush the protest. Estimates of civilian deaths vary: 400-800 (Central Intelligence Agency), 2600 (Chinese Red Cross). Injuries are generally held to have numbered from 7,000 to 10,000. Following the violence, the government conducted widespread arrests to suppress the remaining supporters of the movement, banned the foreign press and strictly controlled coverage of the events in the Chinese press. The violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square protest caused widespread international condemnation of the PRC government.^[1] 20 May is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... The CIAs seal features an eagle atop a sixteen-point compass. ...

Background

An anonymous drawing posted in a pedestrian walkway underneath Chang An Avenue caricatures Deng Xiaoping (seated behind the lectern) as an old Chinese emperor.

Since 1978, Deng Xiaoping had led a series of economic and political reforms which had led to the gradual implementation of a market economy and some political liberalization that relaxed the system set up by Mao Zedong. By early 1989, these economic and political reforms had led two groups of people to become dissatisfied with the government. Image File history File links Tiananmen_Hand_Poster. ... Image File history File links Tiananmen_Hand_Poster. ... Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping (help· info) (Simplified Chinese: 邓小平; Traditional Chinese: 鄧小平; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; August 22, 1904–February 19, 1997) was a leader in the Communist Party of China (CPC). ... Socialism with Chinese characteristics (Chinese: 具有中国特色的社会主义 pinyin: Jùyǒu Zhōngguó tèsè de shèhuìzhǔyì) is an official term for the mixed economy of the Peoples Republic of China as it transitions from an economy based on public ownership of means of production to an economy... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Mao. ...

The first group included students and intellectuals, who believed that the reforms had not gone far enough and that China needed to reform its political systems, since the economic reforms had only affected farmers and factory workers; the incomes of intellectuals lagged far behind those who had benefited from reform policies. They were upset at the social and political controls that the Communist Party of China still held. In addition, this group saw the political liberalization that had been undertaken in the name of glasnost by Mikhail Gorbachev. The second group were those, including urban industrial workers, who believed that the reforms had gone too far. The loosening economic controls had begun to cause inflation and unemployment, which threatened their livelihood. An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to study, reflect, or speculate on a variety of different ideas. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (official name) or Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... (help· info) (Russian: ), IPA: (commonly anglicized as Gorbachev), born March 2, 1931, was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ... In economics, a person who is able and willing to work at prevailing wage rate yet is unable to find a paying job is considered unemployed. ...

In 1989, the primary supporters of the government were rural peasants who had seen their incomes increase considerably during the 1980s as a result of the Party's reforms. However, this support was limited in usefulness because rural peasants were distributed across the countryside. In contrast to urban dwellers who were organized into schools and work units, peasant supporters of the government remained largely unorganized and difficult to mobilize.

The Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 were sparked by the death of former Secretary General Hu Yaobang. Hu Yaobang's "resignation" from the position of Secretary General of the CCP had been announced on January 16th, 1987. His forthright calls for "rapid reform and his almost open contempt of Maoist excesses" had made him a suitable scapegoat for the pro-democracy student protests of 1986-1987. (Spence 1999, 685) Included in his resignation was also a "humiliating self-criticism", which he was forced to issue by the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Hu Yaobang's sudden death, due to heart attack, on April 15th, 1989 provided an opportunity for the students to gather once again, not just to mourn the deceased Secretary General, but also to have their voices heard in "demanding a reversal of the verdict against him" and bringing renewed attention to the important issues of the 1986-1987 pro-democracy protests and possibly also to those of the Democracy Wall protests in 1978-1979. (Spence 1999, 697)

Protests begin

Sing Democracy to China in Hong Kong

Protests started out on a small scale, in the form of mourning for Hu Yaobang and demands that the party revise their official view of him. The protests grew larger after news of confrontation between students and police spread; the belief by students that the Chinese media was distorting the nature of their activities also led to increased support. At Hu's funeral, a large group of students gathered at Tiananmen Square and requested, but failed, to meet premier Li Peng, widely regarded to be Hu's political rival. Thus students called for a strike in universities in Beijing. On April 26, an editorial in People's Daily, following an internal speech made by Deng Xiaoping, accused the students of plotting turmoil. The statement enraged the students, and on April 29 about 50,000 students went onto the streets of Beijing, ignoring the warning of a crackdown made by authorities and insisted that the government withdraw the statement. Image File history File links Democracytochina. ... Image File history File links Democracytochina. ... Lĭ Péng (Simplified Chinese: 李鹏, Traditional Chinese: 李鵬, Wade-Giles: Li Peng) (b. ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... The Peoples Daily (Chinese: 人民日报 Pinyin ) is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ...

In Beijing, a majority of students from the city's numerous colleges and universities participated with support of their instructors and other intellectuals. The students rejected official Communist Party-controlled student associations and set up their own autonomous associations. The students viewed themselves as Chinese patriots, as the heirs of the May Fourth Movement for "science and democracy" of 1919. The protests also evoked memories of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1976 which had eventually led to the ousting of the Gang of Four. From its origins as a memorial to Hu Yaobang, who was seen by the students as an advocate of democracy, the students' activity gradually developed over the course of their demonstration from protests against corruption into demands for freedom of the press and an end to, or the reform of the rule of the PRC by the Communist Party of China and Deng Xiaoping, the de facto paramount Chinese leader. Partially successful attempts were made to reach out and network with students in other cities and with workers. The following is a list of universities in Mainland China. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Tiananmen incident took place in the Peoples Republic of China immediately following the April Fifth Movement. ... The Gang of Four on trial The Gang of Four (Chinese: 四人帮; pinyin: ) was a group of Communist Party leaders in the Peoples Republic of China who were arrested and removed from their positions in 1976, following the death of Mao Zedong, and were blamed for the events of... Hu Yaobang (Chinese: 胡耀邦 Pinyin: Hú Yàobāng, Wade-Giles: Hu Yao-pang) (November 20, 1915 – April 15, 1989) was a leader of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping (help· info) (Simplified Chinese: 邓小平; Traditional Chinese: 鄧小平; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; August 22, 1904–February 19, 1997) was a leader in the Communist Party of China (CPC). ...

Although the initial protests were made by students and intellectuals who believed that the Deng Xiaoping reforms had not gone far enough and China needs to reform its political systems, they soon attracted the support of urban workers who believed that the reforms had gone too far. This occurred because the leaders of the protests focused on the issue of corruption, which united both groups, and because the students were able to invoke Chinese archetypes of the selfless intellectual who spoke truth to power.

Unlike the Tiananmen protests of 1987, which consisted mainly of students and intellectuals, the protests in 1989 commanded widespread support from the urban workers who were alarmed by growing inflation and corruption. In Beijing, they were supported by a large fraction of people. Similar numbers were found in major cities throughout mainland China such as Urumqi, Shanghai and Chongqing; and later in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Chinese communities in North America and Europe. Ürümqi (Uyghur: ئۈرۈمچى; Uyghur Latin script: Ürümqi; Chinese: 烏魯木齊; Pinyin: Wūlǔmùqí; population about 1. ... For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... Chongqing (Simplified Chinese: 重庆; Traditional Chinese: 重慶; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Chungking) is the largest and most populous of the Peoples Republic of Chinas four provincial-level municipalities, and the only one in the less densely populated western half of China. ...

Protests escalate

"The Goddess of Democracy" carved by students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and erected in the Square during the protest.

On May 4, approximately 100,000 students and workers marched in Beijing making demands for free media reform and a formal dialogue between the authorities and student-elected representatives. The government rejected the proposed dialogue, only agreeing to talk to members of appointed student organizations. On May 13, large groups of students occupied Tiananmen Square and started a hunger strike, demanding the government withdraw the accusation made in the People's Daily editorial and begin talks with the student representatives. Hundreds of students went on hunger strike and were supported by hundreds of thousands of protesting students and residents of Beijing, which lasted for a week. Goddess of Democracy, from the back of the statue. ... Goddess of Democracy Goddess of Democracy (Chinese: 民主女神; pinyin: mínzhǔ nǚshén), also known as the Goddess of Democracy and Freedom, was a 10-meter high statue created during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ...

Protests and strikes began at many colleges in other cities, with many students traveling to Beijing to join the demonstration. Generally, the demonstration at Tiananmen Square was well-ordered, with daily marches of students from various Beijing area colleges displaying their solidarity with the boycott of college classes and with the developing demands of the protest. The students sang "The Internationale," the world socialist anthem, on their way to and within the square.^[2] Students similarly demonstrated their support for Chinese socialism by helping police arrest three men from Hunan Province who had thrown ink on the large portrait of Mao that hangs from Tiananmen, just north of the square.^[3] One of these men, Yu Dongyue, remained in prison until 2006-02-22 at which point he fled to Canada as a refugee from constant political persecution.^[4] The Internationale (LInternationale in French) is the most famous socialist (and anarchist and Communist) song and one of the most widely recognized songs in the world. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Yu Dongyue (Chinese: 喻东岳; Hanyu Pinyin: Yù Dōngyuè) is a former Chinese journalist imprisoned for almost 17 years in China, for throwing red paint at the large portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 22 is the 53rd day of every year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The students ultimately decided that in order to sustain their movement and impede any loss of momentum a hunger strike would need to be enacted. The students decision to undertake the hunger strike was a defining moment in their movement. The hunger strike began in May of 1989 and grew to include "more than one thousand persons" (Liu 1994, 315). The hunger strike brought widespread support for the students and "the ordinary people of Beijing rallied to protect the hunger strikers...because the act of refusing sustenance and courting government reprisals convinced onlookers that the students were not just seeking personal gains but (were) sacrificing themselves for the Chinese people as a whole" (Calhoun 1994, 113). A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ...

Partially successful attempts were made to negotiate with the PRC rulers, who were located nearby in Zhongnanhai, the Communist Party headquarters and leadership compound. Because of the visit of Mikhail Gorbachev in May, foreign media were present in mainland China in large numbers. Their coverage of the protests was extensive and generally favorable towards the protesters, but pessimistic that they would attain their goals. Toward the end of the demonstration, on May 30, a statue of the Goddess of Democracy was erected in the Square and came to symbolize the protest to television viewers worldwide. An aerial view of Zhongnanhai Zhongnanhai (Chinese: 中南海; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a complex of buildings in Beijing, China which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the government of the Peoples Republic of China. ... (help· info) (Russian: ), IPA: (commonly anglicized as Gorbachev), born March 2, 1931, was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... Goddess of Democracy Goddess of Democracy (Chinese: 民主女神; pinyin: mínzhǔ nǚshén), also known as the Goddess of Democracy and Freedom, was a 10-meter high statue created during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ...

The Standing Committee of the Politburo, along with the party elders (retired but still-influential former officials of the government and Party), were, at first, hopeful that the demonstrations would be short-lived or that cosmetic reforms and investigations would satisfy the protesters. They wished to avoid violence if possible, and relied at first on their far-reaching Party apparatus in attempts to persuade the students to abandon the protest and return to their studies. One barrier to effective action was that the leadership itself supported many of the demands of the students, especially the concern with corruption. However, one large problem was that the protests contained many people with varying agendas, and hence it was unclear with whom the government could negotiate, and what the demands of the protesters were. The confusion and indecision among the protesters was also mirrored by confusion and indecision within the government. The official media mirrored this indecision as headlines in the People's Daily alternated between sympathy with the demonstrators and denouncing them. The Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (Chinese: 中国共产党中央政治局常务委员会 pinyin: Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Zhèngzhìjú Chángwù Wěiyuánhuì) is a committee whose membership varies between 5 and 9 and includes the top leadership of the Communist Party of China. ... The Eight Immortals were a group of elderly members of the Communist Party of China who held substantial power during the 1980s and 1990s. ... Violence refers to acts of aggression and abuse which causes or intends to cause criminal injury or harm to persons, and (to a lesser extent) animals and property. ... The Peoples Daily (Chinese: 人民日报 Pinyin ) is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. ...

Among the top leadership, General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was strongly in favor of a soft approach to the demonstrations while Li Peng was seen to argue in favor of a crackdown. Ultimately, the decision to crack down on the demonstrations was made by a group of Party elders who saw abandonment of single-party rule as a return of the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Although most of these people had no official position, they were able to control the military, as Deng Xiaoping was chairman of the Central Military Commission and was able to declare martial law, and as Yang Shangkun was President of the People's Republic of China. The Party elders believed that lengthy demonstrations were a threat to the stability of the country. The demonstrators were seen as tools of advocates of "bourgeois liberalism" who were pulling the strings behind the scenes, as well as tools of elements within the party who wished to further their personal ambitions. The term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ... Zhao Ziyang (Simplified: 赵紫阳; Traditional: 趙紫陽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chao Tzu-yang) (October 17, 1919–January 17, 2005) was a politician in the Peoples Republic of China. ... Lĭ Péng (Simplified Chinese: 李鹏, Traditional Chinese: 李鵬, Wade-Giles: Li Peng) (b. ... A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ... A poster during the Cultural Revolution. ... The Central Military Commission (Chinese: 中央军事委员会 pinyin: Zhōngyāng Jūnshì Wěiyuánhuì ) refers to one of two bodies within the Peoples Republic of China. ... Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect (usually after a formal declaration) when a military authority takes control of the normal administration of justice. ... Yáng Shàngkūn (May 25, 1907–September 14, 1998) was President of the Peoples Republic of China from 1988 to 1993, and was permanent Vice-chair of the Central Military Commission. ... The President of the Peoples Republic of China (Simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国主席; Hanyu Pinyin: , or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席) is the head of state of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Bourgeois liberalism was a term of disparagement used by Peoples Republic of China rulers of the late 1980s and early 1990s to refer to a perceived political and cultural threat -- in political terms as parliamentary democracy and in cultural terms as western popular culture. ...

The Crackdown

Zhao speaks during the 1989 Democracy Protests. Behind him (2nd from right in black) is current State Council Premier Wen Jiabao.

Although the government declared martial law on May 20, the government failed to enforce it and the demonstrations continued. The hunger strike was approaching the end of the third week, and the government resolved to end the matter before deaths occurred. After deliberation among Communist party leaders, the use of military force to resolve the crisis was ordered, and Zhao Ziyang was ousted from political leadership as a result of his support for the student demonstrators. The Communist Party then decided to stop the situation before it escalated further. Pictured here Zhao Ziyang during 1989 Democracy Protests (See Tiananmen Square Massacre), General Secretary of the Communist Party of China at the time. ... The State Council (国务院, pinyin: Guówùyuàn) of the Central Peoples Government is the chief civilian administrative body of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Wen Jiabao (Simplified Chinese: 温家宝; Traditional Chinese: 溫家寶; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Wen Chia-pao) (born September 1942) is the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect (usually after a formal declaration) when a military authority takes control of the normal administration of justice. ... 20 May is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Zhao Ziyang (Simplified: 赵紫阳; Traditional: 趙紫陽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chao Tzu-yang) (October 17, 1919–January 17, 2005) was a politician in the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Soldiers and tanks from the 27th and 28th Armies of the People's Liberation Army were sent to take control of the city. The 27th Army was led by a commander related to Yang Shankun. The army was well experienced and armed unlike the ones sent on May 20 that was reluctant to put down the students(Spence 1999, 701).* In his press conference of the 5th, announcing sanctions on Communist China in the face of threats to do the same from US Senator, Jesse Helms, President Bush also suggested intelligence he had received concerning not only some disunity in the military ranks, and even the possibility of some military on military clashes during those days, but that these units were brought in from outside provinces because the local PLA were considered to be somewhat sympathetic to the protest and the people of the city. Reporters described elements of the 27th as having been most responsible for the carnage, and after the attack on the square of having established defensive positions in the center and east in Beijing, not the sort against civilian uprising, but as if anticipating attack by other military units. The 28th Army, on the other hand, was said to be one sympathetic to the uprising. They had no ammunition. And it was they who were said to be torching their own vehicles, on various streets, as they abandoned them to join the protests. A Norwegian soldier (a Corporal, armed with an MP-5) A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment to defend that country or its interests. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Entry of the troops into the city was actively opposed by many citizens of Beijing. Extensive roadblocks constructed by the citizens of Beijing slowed progress. The battle continued on the streets surrounding the Square, with protesters repeatedly advancing toward the heavily armed troops of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), or constructing barricades with vehicles, with the PLA firing directly into the crowds, even using flame throwers, only occasionally firing tear gas ahead to clear the street. Many injured citizens were saved by rickshaw drivers who ventured into the no-man's-land between the soldiers and crowds and carried the wounded off to hospitals, some of which also came under fire from the troops. After the attack on the square, people could be seen by live tv coverage, many wearing black armbands in protest of the government's action, crowding various boulevards or congregating by burnt out and smoking barricades as the PLA chased crowds and individuals and systematically established checkpoints around the city, also blocking off the university district.

The suppression of the protest was symbolised in Western media by the famous film and photographs, taken on June 5, after the attack on the square, of a lone unarmed white-shirted man standing in front of a column of 18 tanks and APCs which were attempting to drive out of Tianamen Square which had become a staging area for at least 60 or more tanks, and as the column approached an intersection on the Avenue of Eternal Peace, halting their progress. He reportedly said, "Why are you here? You have caused nothing but misery." The "tank man" jumped back and forth as the tank driver attempted to go around him. He continued to stand defiantly in front of the lead tank for a while, then climbed up onto the turret of the lead tank to speak to the soldiers inside, and then returned to his position blocking their way when the lead tank again attempted to move, just before being quickly pulled aside by six or seven onlookers who perhaps feared they were just about to shoot or roll on this man. Despite efforts, to this day Western media sources are unable to identify that solitary figure. Time Magazine dubbed him The Unknown Rebel and later named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Shortly after the incident, British tabloid the Sunday Express named him as Wang Weilin, a 19-year-old student; however, the veracity of this claim is dubious. What has happened to Wang following the demonstration is equally obscure. In a speech to the President's Club in 1999, Bruce Herschensohn — former deputy special assistant to President of the United States Richard Nixon and a member of the President Ronald Reagan transition team — reported that he was executed 14 days later; other sources say he was killed by a firing squad a few months after the Tiananmen Square protests. In Red China Blues: My Long March from Mao to Now, Jan Wong writes that the man is still alive in hiding in mainland China. In Forbidden City, William Bell, Canadian children's author, claims that he was named Wang Ai-min and was killed on June 9 after being taken into custody. June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... Tank Man stops the advance of a column of tanks. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... Tank Man stops the advance of a column of tanks. ... Newspaper sizes in August 2005. ... The Daily Express is a British newspaper, currently tabloid, and it is owned by Richard Desmond. ... Tank man stops the advance of a column of tanks. ... The presidential seal was used by president Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ... Jan Wong (黄明珍, pinyin: Huáng MíngzhÄ“n) (born 1953 in Montréal) is a Canadian journalist of Chinese ancestry. ... William E. Bell is a Canadian childrens author who lives in Orillia, Ontario. ...

Within the Square itself, there was apparently a debate between those, including Han Dongfang, who wished to withdraw peacefully, and those, including Chai Ling, who wished to stand within the square at the risk of possibly creating a bloodbath. The PRC government has claimed that no one was killed in the square itself, but perhaps does not dispute the many casualties in the approaches to the square. The assault on the square began at 5:40AM, as armored personnel carriers and armed troops with fixed bayonets approached from various positions. The APCs rolled over people in the way, on the roads up, and fired ahead and off to the sides, perhaps killing or wounding their own soldiers, as well. An unnamed BBC reporter spoke of "indiscriminate fire" and of at least twenty people mowed down within the square. Students who sought refuge in buses were pulled out by groups of soldiers and beaten with heavy sticks. Even students attempting to leave the square were set upon by soldiers and beaten. Leaders of the protest inside the square, where some had attempted to erect flimsy barricades ahead of the APCs, were said to have "implored" the students not to use weapons, such as Molotov cocktails, against the oncoming soldiers, all this while many students apparently were shouting, "Why are you killing us?" The number of dead and wounded remains a state secret. An unnamed Chinese Red Cross official at the time reported that 2,600 people were killed, and 30,000 injured. Two days later, Yuan Mu, the speaker of the State Council, estimated that 300 soldiers and citizens died, as well as 5,000 soldiers and 2,000 citizens injured, 400 soldiers lost contact. According to universities, 23 students were murdered. Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and State Council later co-claimed that tens of PLA soldiers died and more injured. The Preparatory Committee of Autonomous Associations of Tsinghua University claimed that 4,000 died and 30,000 injured. Chen Xitong, Beijing mayor, reported at 26 days after the event that 36 students, tens of soldiers died amounting to a total of 200 dead, 3,000 civilians and 6,000 soldiers injured.^[5] Foreign reporters that witnessed the incident have claimed that at least 3,000 people had died. Some lists of the casualties were created from underground sources with numbers as high as 5,000.^[6] However, it is important to note that NSA documents declassified in 1999 show that their intelligence gives an estimate of 180-500 killed. In contrast, however, before the government in Beijing had completely re-established control over the news media in China, a monitored English language broadcast from Beijing stated that at least 3,000 students died in the massacre. At the same time, the Chinese Red Cross reported that their count had reached 2,600 - and they still were counting. As both sources, the radio broadcast and the Red Cross report, are impossible to verify given that access to objective information was impossible under martial law, the discrepancy between the lower and higher number of individuals killed still needs to be resolved. Han Dongfang (韩东方) is the son of a peasant and, before the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, worked as an assistant librarian and a regrigeration engineer. ... Chai Ling Chai Ling (Chinese: 柴玲; pinyin: Chái Líng) (1966-) was one of the leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (Simplified Chinese: 清华大学; Traditional Chinese: 清華大學; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching-hua Ta-hsüeh) is one of the most prestigious and selective universities in China. ... NSA can stand for: National Security Agency of the USA The British Librarys National Sound Archive This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

After the crackdown in Beijing on June 4, protests continued in much of mainland China for a number of days. There were large protests of hundreds of thousands in Hong Kong, where people wore black, again in protest. There were protests in Canton, huge protests in Shanghai with a general work strike, streets and bridges were blocked around the country, and protests in at least six other major cities inside Communist China called for the removal of the 'criminal government' There were also many more protests around the world, many adopting the use of black arm bands, as well. June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ...

Aftermath

Arrests and purges

During and after the the demonstration, authorities attempted to arrest and prosecute the student leaders of the Chinese democracy movement, notably Wang Dan, Chai Ling and Wuer Kaixi. Wang Dan was arrested, convicted, and sent to prison, then allowed to emigrate to the United States on the grounds of medical parole. Wuer Kaixi escaped to Taiwan. He is now married and he holds a job as a political commentator on National Taiwan TV. Chai Ling escaped to France and then to the United States. For Guns N Roses album Chinese Democracy The Chinese democracy movement is a loosely organized movement in the Peoples Republic of China against the Communist Party of China. ... Wang in Taipei Wang Dan (Chinese: 王丹; pinyin: Wáng Dān) (born February 26, 1969), a leader of the Chinese democracy movement, was one of the most visible of the student leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... Chai Ling Chai Ling (Chinese: 柴玲; pinyin: Chái Líng) (1966-) was one of the leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... 　 Wúěr Kāixī (吾爾開希 Uyghur: Uerkesh Daolet) (1968-) is a famous Uyghur student leader in the Tiananmen protests of 1989. ... Medical parole is a form of parole which involves the release of a prisoner on the grounds that he is too ill to continue serving his prison sentence. ...

Chinese authorities summarily tried and executed the many workers they arrested in Beijing. In contrast, the students, many of whom came from relatively affluent backgrounds and were well connected, received much lighter sentences. Even Wang Dan, the student leader who topped the most wanted list, only spent seven years in prison.

The Party leadership expelled Zhao Ziyang, who had opposed martial law, and elevated Jiang Zemin, then the Mayor of Shanghai who was not involved at all in this event, to become PRC's President. Members of the government prepared a white paper explaining the government's viewpoint on the protests. An anonymous source within the PRC government smuggled the document out of China, and PublicAffairs published it in January 2001 as the Tiananmen Papers. The papers include a quote by Communist Party elder Wang Zhen which alludes to the government's response to the demonstrations. Zhao Ziyang (Simplified: 赵紫阳; Traditional: 趙紫陽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chao Tzu-yang) (October 17, 1919–January 17, 2005) was a politician in the Peoples Republic of China. ... Jiāng Zémín (born August 17, 1926) was the core of the third generation of Communist Party of China leaders, serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the Peoples Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and... A white paper can be an authoritative report on a major issue, as by a team of experts; a government report outlining policy; or a short treatise whose purpose is to educate industry customers. ... The Tiananmen Papers are supposedly the formerly secret Chinese official documents on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. ... Wáng Zhēn (王禎), first Ming eunuch with much power, see Battle of Tumu Fortress. ...

Two CCTV presenters who reported news in the "News Network" program at June 4 were fired soon after the event. Wu Xiaoyong, the son of a Communist Party of China Central Committee member, former PRC foreign minister and vice premier Wu Xueqian, were removed from the English Program Department of Chinese Radio International. Qian Liren, director of the People's Daily, the newspaper of the Communist Party of China was also removed from this post because of reports in the paper sympathetic to the students. We dont know what the chinese radio international is therefore allowed me to type out some stuff to fill the box, please someone with some knowledge on the radio re-write this properly ... The Peoples Daily (Chinese: 人民日报 Pinyin ) is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. ...

Media coverage

The Tiananmen Square protests damaged the reputation of the PRC in the West. Western media had been invited to cover the visit of Mikhail Gorbachev in May, and were thus in an excellent position to cover some of the government crackdown live through networks such as the BBC and CNN. Protestors seized this opportunity, creating signs and banners designed for international television audiences. Coverage was further facilitated by the sharp conflicts within the Chinese government about how to handle the protests, with the result that the broadcasting was not immediately stopped. For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ...

CNN was eventually ordered to terminate broadcasts from the city during the crackdown, and although the networks attempted to defy these orders and were able to cover the protests via telephone, the government was able to shut down the satellite links.

Images of the protests along with the collapse of Communism that was occurring at the same time in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe would strongly shape Western views and policy toward the PRC throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. There was considerable sympathy for the student protests among Chinese students in the West, and almost immediately, both the United States and the European Union announced an arms embargo, and the image throughout the 1980s of a China which was reforming and a valuable counterweight and ally against the Soviet Union was replaced by that of a repressive authoritarian regime. The Tiananmen protests were frequently invoked to argue against trade liberalization with mainland China and by the blue team as evidence that the PRC government was an aggressive threat to world peace and United States interests. Western media, like CNN and NBC, relayed the fact that the students were singing The Internationale, and quoting Abraham Lincoln. The blue team is an informal group within the United States that has argued that the Peoples Republic of China is the largest security threat to the United States. ... The Internationale (LInternationale in French) is the most famous socialist (and anarchist and Communist) song and one of the most widely recognized songs in the world. ...

Among overseas Chinese students, the Tiananmen Square protests triggered the formation of Internet news services such as the China News Digest and the NGO China Support Network. In the aftermath of Tiananmen, organizations such as the China Alliance for Democracy and the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars were formed, although these organizations would have limited political impact beyond the mid-1990s. Begun as the American response group in 1989, China Support Network (CSN) represents Americans who are on the side of the students in Tiananmen Square — standing for democratic reform, human rights, and freedom in China. ...

Future of political reforms

In Hong Kong, the Tiananmen square protests led to fears that the PRC would not honour its commitments under one country, two systems in the impending handover in 1997. One consequence of this was that the new governor Chris Patten attempted to expand the franchise for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong which led to friction with the PRC. There have been large candlelight vigils in Hong Kong every year since 1989 and these vigils have continued following the transfer of power to the PRC in 1997. One country, two systems (Simplified Chinese: 一国两制; Traditional Chinese: 一國兩制; pinyin: yì; guó liǎng zhì; Jyutping: jat1 gwok3 loeng5 zai3; Yale: yāt gwok leúhng jai), is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping, then Paramount Leader of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), for the unification of China. ... Lord Patten of Barnes The Right Honourable Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC (born 12 May 1944) is a prominent British Conservative politician. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The Tiananmen square protests dampened the growing concept of political liberalization that was popular in the late 1980s; as a result, many democratic reforms that were proposed during the 1980s were swept under the carpet. Although there has been some increase in personal freedom since then, discussions on structural changes to the PRC government and the role of the Chinese Communist Party remain largely taboo. A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ...

Destroyed bicycle and tank-track - symbol of Chinese protest in the Polish city of Wrocław

Nevertheless, despite early expectations in the West that PRC government would soon collapse and be replaced by the Chinese democracy movement, by the early 21st century the Communist Party of China remained in firm control of the People's Republic of China, and the student movement which started at Tiananmen was in complete disarray. Download high resolution version (2046x1117, 467 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2046x1117, 467 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wrocław, (Polish pronunciation: (?), Czech: , German: ( (help· info)), Latin: Wratislavia or Vratislavia) is the capital of Lower Silesia in southwestern Poland, situated on the Oder River (Odra). ... For Guns N Roses album Chinese Democracy The Chinese democracy movement is a loosely organized movement in the Peoples Republic of China against the Communist Party of China. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (official name) or Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Economic impact

One reason for this was that the Tiananmen protests did not mark the end of economic reform. Granted, in the immediate aftermath of the protests, conservatives within the Communist Party attempted to curtail some of the free market reforms that had been undertaken as part of Chinese economic reform, and reinstitute administrative controls over the economy. However, these efforts met with stiff resistance from provincial governors and broke down completely in the early 1990s as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and Deng Xiaoping's trip to the south. The continuance of economic reform led to economic growth in the 1990s, which allowed the government to regain much of the support that it had lost in 1989. In addition, none of the current PRC leadership played any active role in the decision to move against the demonstrators, and one major leadership figure Premier Wen Jiabao was an aide to Zhao Ziyang and accompanied him to meet the demonstrators. Today there are economic "sectors" in which business can thrive and this has improved the lives of many Chinese and opened up economic freedom and access to goods. A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... Economic reforms have triggered internal migrations within China. ... Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping (help· info) (Simplified Chinese: 邓小平; Traditional Chinese: 鄧小平; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; August 22, 1904–February 19, 1997) was a leader in the Communist Party of China (CPC). ... The Premier ( Chinese: 总理 pinyin: zŏnglĭ), sometimes referred to as the Prime Minister, is the Chairman of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China and head of Central Peoples Government. ... Wen Jiabao (Simplified Chinese: 温家宝; Traditional Chinese: 溫家寶; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Wen Chia-pao) (born September 1942) is the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Zhao Ziyang (Simplified: 赵紫阳; Traditional: 趙紫陽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chao Tzu-yang) (October 17, 1919–January 17, 2005) was a politician in the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In addition, the student leaders at Tiananmen were unable to produce a coherent movement or ideology that would last past the mid-1990s. Many of the student leaders came from relatively well off sectors of society and were seen as out of touch with common people. Furthermore, many of the organizations which were started in the aftermath of Tiananmen soon fell apart due to personal infighting. In addition, several overseas democracy activists were supportive of limiting trade with mainland China which significantly decreased their popularity both within China and among the overseas Chinese community. However, a number of NGOs based in the U.S., which aim to bring democratic reform to China and relentlessly protest human rights violations that occur in China, remain. One of the oldest and most prominent of them, the China Support Network (CSN), was founded in 1989 by a group of concerned Americans and Chinese activists in response to Tiananmen Square.

A Generation Gap

Growing up with little memory of Tiananmen and no memory of the Cultural Revolution, but with a full appreciation of the rising prosperity and international influence of the PRC as well as the difficulties that Russia has had since the end of the Cold War, many Chinese no longer consider immediate political liberalization to be wise, preferring to see slow stepwise democratization instead. Rather, many young Chinese, in view of PRC's rise, are now more concerned with economic development, nationalism, the restoration of China's prestige in international affairs, and perceived governmental weakness on issues like the Political status of Taiwan or the Diaoyu Islands dispute with Japan. A poster during the Cultural Revolution. ... United States President John F. Kennedy and Soviet General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev meet in a 1961 summit held in Vienna, Austria at the height of the Cold War. ... // Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each nation... Taiwan Strait Area The political status of Taiwan is a controversy over whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of Taiwan. ... The Pinnacle Islands (Japanese: 尖閣諸島; Senkaku-Shotō) are islands are currently under Japanese control but claimed by the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan), by which they are known as Diaoyutai Islands or Diaoyu Islands—both literally mean Fishing Islands. ...

Among intellectuals in mainland China, the impact of the Tiananmen protests appears to have created something of a generation gap. Intellectuals who were in their 20s at the time of the protests tend to be far less supportive of the PRC government than younger students who were born after the start of the Deng Xiaoping reforms. A generation gap describes a vast difference in cultural norms between a younger generation and their elders. ...

Among urban industrial workers, the continuation of market reforms in the 1990s brought with it higher standards of living as well as increased economic uncertainty. Protests by urban industrial workers over issues such as unpaid wages and local corruption remain frequent with estimates of several thousand of these protests occurring each year. The Communist Party of China appears unwilling to suffer the negative attention of suppressing these protests provided that protests remain directed at a local issue and do not call for deeper reform and do not involve coordination with other workers. In a reversal of the situation in 1989, the centre of discontent in mainland China appears to be in rural areas, which have seen incomes stagnate in the 1990s and have not been involved in much of the economic boom of that decade. However, just as the lack of organization and the distribution of peasants prevented them from becoming mobilized in support of the government in 1989, these factors also inhibit mobilization against the government in the early 21st century. The Communist Party of China (CPC) (official name) or Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The Present

Still a taboo topic in China

The topic is still a political taboo in mainland China, where any discussion on it is regarded as inappropriate or risky. The only media coverage is about the Chinese Communist Party's view: that it was a determined action to ensure stability. Every year, there are demonstrations in Hong Kong against the decision of the party in 1989. A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ...

However, petition letters over the incident have emerged from time to time, notably from Dr. Jiang Yanyong and Tiananmen Mothers, an organization founded by a mother of a killed victim during 1989. Tiananmen Square is tightly patrolled on the anniversary of June 4 to prevent any commemoration. Jiang Yanyong Jiang Yanyong (Traditional Chinese: 蔣彥永, Simplified Chinese: 蒋彦永, Hanyu Pinyin: Jiǎng Yànyǒng, Wade-Giles: Chiang Yen-yung) (born 4 October 1931) is a Chinese physician from Beijing who publicized a coverup of the SARS epidemic in China. ... The Tiananmen Mothers (天安門母親) is a group of Chinese democracy activists promoting government redress of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ...

After the PRC Central Government reshuffle in 2004, several cabinet members mentioned Tiananmen. In October 2004, during President Hu Jintao's visit to France, he reiterated that "the government took determined action to calm the political storm of 1989, and enabled China to enjoy a stable development". He insisted that the government's view on the incident would not change. Hú Jǐntāo (born December 21, 1942) is the fourth and current President of the Peoples Republic of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, succeeding Jiang Zemin in the Fourth Generation Leadership of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In March 2004, Premier Wen Jiabao said in a press conference that during the 1990s there was a severe political storm in the PRC, amid the breakdown of the Soviet Union and radical changes in Eastern Europe. He stated that the Communist Central Committee successfully stablilised the open-door policy and protected the "Career of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics". Wen Jiabao (Simplified Chinese: 温家宝; Traditional Chinese: 溫家寶; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Wen Chia-pao) (born September 1942) is the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In January 2006, a deal struck with Google and Yahoo! confirmed that this is still a sensitive topic for the Chinese Government as Google's Chinese site (Google.cn) now restricts locals from searching for information about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, as well as other topics such as Tibetan independence, the banned spiritual sect Falun Gong, and Taiwan. They are being tried for breaking United States law concerning China and for the imprisonment, torture, and deaths of individuals by the PRC because of e-mails and other information the online companies submitted to the PRC. Other companies such as Cisco and Microsoft have also provided technologies to the PRC which enforce police control, interception of messages, and blocking of media; this is despite of a United States law preventing anyone from aiding the PRC in law enforcement. These companies have stated that this law only pertains to objects such as Night-Vision Goggles and Police Helmets. Google Inc. ... Yahoo! Inc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Falun emblem Falun Gong (Traditional Chinese: 法輪功; Simplified Chinese: 法轮功; Hanyu Pinyin: ; literally Practice of the Wheel of Law) is also known as Falun Dafa (Traditional Chinese: 法輪大法; Simplified Chinese: 法轮大法; Hanyu Pinyin: ; lit. ... Cisco may refer to: Cisco Systems, a computer networking company Cisco IOS, an internet router operating system CISCO Security Private Limited, a security company in Singapore Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation, a statutory board in Singapore Abbreviation for San Francisco, California Cisco (wine) The Cisco Kid, a fictional character created... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, SEHK: 4338) is an international computer technology corporation with 2005 global annual sales of close to $40 billion USD and about 64,000 employees in 85 countries and regions which develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. ...

US - EU arms embargo

The United States (U.S.) and European Union (E.U.) embargo on weapons sales to the PRC, put in place as result of the violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, still remains in place 17 years later. The PRC has been calling for a lift of the ban for many years and has had a varying amount of support from members of the EU Council. In early 2004, France spearheaded the movement within the EU to lift the ban. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder publicly added his voice to that of French President Jacques Chirac to have the embargo lifted. For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... The European Union or EU is a supranational organisation of European countries, which currently has 25 member states. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder [] (born April 7, 1944), German politician, was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. ... H.E. (help· info), (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic. ...

The arms embargo was discussed at a PRC-EU summit in the Netherlands on 7th-9th December, 2004. In the run up to the summit, the PRC had attempted to increase pressure on the EU Council to lift the ban by warning that the ban could hurt PRC-EU relations. PRC Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui called the ban "outdated", and he told reporters, "If the ban is maintained, bilateral relations will definitely be affected." In the end, the EU Council did not lift the ban. EU spokeswoman Françoise le Bail said there were still concerns about PRC's commitment to human rights. But at the time, the EU did state its commitment to work towards lifting the ban. Bernard Bot, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, which held the EU’s rotating presidency at that time, said, "We are working assiduously but... the time is not right to lift the embargo." Following the summit, the EU Council confirmed that it had the political will to continue to work towards lifting the embargo. PRC Premier Wen Jiabao said after the meeting that the embargo did not reflect the partnership between the PRC and the EU.

The PRC continued to press for the embargo to be lifted, and some member states began to drop their opposition. Jacques Chirac pledged to have the ban lifted by mid-2005. However, the Taiwan anti-secession law passed in Beijing (March 2005) increased cross-strait tensions and damaged attempts to lift the ban, several EU Council members changing their minds. Members of the U.S. Congress had also proposed restrictions on the transfer of military technology to the EU if they lifted the ban. Thus the EU Council failed to reach a consensus and although France and Germany pushed to have the embargo lifted, no decision was agreed upon in subsequent meetings. The Anti-Secession Law (Chinese: 反分裂国家法; pinyin: ; literally Against-Splitting-the-State Law) is a law passed by the third conference of the 10th National Peoples Congress of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Britain took charge of the EU Presidency in the summer of 2005, making the lifting of the embargo all but impossible for the duration of the term. Britain had always had some reservations on lifting the ban and wished to put it to the side, rather than sour EU-US relations further. Perhaps more importantly, the failure of the European Constitution and the ensuing disagreement over the European Budget and Common Agricultural Policy has superseded the matter of the embargo in importance. Britain wanted to use its presidency to push for wholescale reform of the EU, so the lifting of the ban will become even more unlikely. The election of a new European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, has also made a lifting of the ban more difficult. At a meeting with Chinese leaders in mid-July 2005, he said that China's poor record on human rights would slow any changes to the EU's ban on arms sales to China.^[7] The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs budget (€43 billion scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ... The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union. ... José Manuel Durão Barroso (born in Lisbon, March 23, 1956) is a Portuguese politician. ...

Political will may be changing in countries that are more in favour of lifting the embargo. Gerhard Schröder lost a Federal election in September 2005. His opponent, Angela Merkel, became Chancellor on 22nd November 2005 and is strongly against lifting the ban. Other opposition leaders are against lifting the ban. Jacques Chirac will find it difficult to remain president in 2007—he may not even be a successful candidate, due to losing the French vote over the European Constitution. Nicolas Sarkozy is a strong contender for the French presidency and is not as in favour of lifting the ban as Chirac is. Dr. Angela Dorothea Merkel (pronounced //, born in Hamburg, Germany on July 17, 1954) is the current Chancellor of Germany. ... Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sárközy de Nagy-Bócsa (born 28 January 1955, in Paris, 17th arrondissement), simply known as Nicolas Sarkozy ( — (help· info)), is a conservative French politician. ...

In addition, the European Parliament has consistently opposed the lifting of the arms embargo to the PRC. Though its agreement is not necessary for lifting the ban, many argue it reflects the will of the European people better as it is the only directly elected European body—the EU Council is appointed by member states. The European Parliament has variously denied any lifting of the arms embargo on the PR of China: The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...

• its resolution of 28 April 2005 on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2004 and the EU's policy on the matter,
• its resolution of 23 October 2003 on the annual report from the Council to the European Parliament on the main aspects and basic choices of CFSP, it insisted on a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue through dialogue across the Taiwan Straits and called on China to withdraw missiles in the coastal provinces adjacent to the Taiwan Straits and
• its resolution on relations between the EU, China and Taiwan and security in the Far East of 7 July 2005. The EP has noted several times that the current human rights situation in China, with regards to fundamental civil, cultural and political freedoms do not meet even the international standards recognised by China.

This arms embargo has limited China's option from where it may seek military hardware. Among the sources that was sought included the former Soviet bloc that it had a strained relationship with as a result of the Sino-Soviet split. Other willing suppliers have been Israel and South Africa. The Sino-Soviet split was a major diplomatic conflict between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), beginning in the late 1950s, reaching a peak in 1969 and continuing in various ways until the late 1980s. ...

See also

• History of the People's Republic of China

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into History of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Footnotes

This article is about a journal. ... Amnesty International logo Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international, non-governmental organization with the stated purpose of promoting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs (sometimes abbreviated BBC NCA) is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... CSN might be an acronym or abbreviation for: Comcast SportsNet Comunidad Sudamericana de Naciones (Spanish, South American Community of Nations) Cable Science Network Cell Signaling Networks Confédération des syndicats nationaux Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) Confederate States Navy This page concerning a three-letter...

References

• The New Emperors: China in the Era of Mao and Deng, Harrison E. Salisbury, New York, 1992, Avon Books, ISBN 0380720256.
• The Tiananmen Papers, The Chinese Leadership's Decision to Use Force Against their Own People—In their Own Words, Compiled by Zhang Liang, Edited by Andrew J. Nathan and Perry Link, with an afterword by Orville Schell, PublicAffairs, New York, 2001, hardback, 514 pages, ISBN 1-58648-012-X An extensive review and synopis of The Tiananmen papers in the journal Foreign Affairs may be found at Review and synopsis in the journal Foreign Affairs.
• June Fourth: The True Story, Tian'anmen Papers/Zhongguo Liusi Zhenxiang Volumes 1–2 (Chinese edition), Zhang Liang, ISBN 9628744364
• Red China Blues: My Long March from Mao to Now, Jan Wong, Doubleday, 1997, trade paperback, 416 pages, ISBN 0385482329 (Contains, besides extensive autobiographical material, an eyewitness account of the Tiananmen crackdown and the basis for an estimate of the number of casualties.)
• Spence, Jonathan D. The Search for Modern China. New York: Norton, 1999.
• Craig C. Calhoun. "Science, Democracy, and the Politics of Identity." In Popular Protest and Political Culture in Modern China. Edited by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom and Elizabeth J. Perry, 140-7. Boulder, Col.: Westview Press, 1994.
• Liu Xiaobo. "That Holy Word, "Revolution." In Popular Protest and Political Culture in Modern China. Edited by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom and Elizabeth J. Perry, 140-7. Boulder, Col.: Westview Press, 1994.

Spence, Jonathan D. "Testing the Limits." In "The Search for Modern China". 701. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999 Perry Link is a Sinologist at Princeton University, specializing in modern Chinese literature. ... Orville Hickock Schell III (born May 20, 1940) is the Dean at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and author of numerous works on the history of China. ... This article is about a journal. ... Jan Wong (黄明珍, pinyin: Huáng Míngzhēn) (born 1953 in Montréal) is a Canadian journalist of Chinese ancestry. ...

External links

• PBS Documentary "The Tank Man", 2006, Programme accessible online
• Human Rights in China's Section on 1989 Democracy movement
• BBC Creative archive footage Clip 1, Clip 2 (accessible from the UK only)
• BBC's "On This Day" report about Tiananmen Protests
• The U.S. "Tiananmen Papers" - US Perceptions of the crisis
• Graham Earnshaw's eye witness account of events on the night of June 4
• Eyewitness account of the massacre from a Marxist's Perspective
• The Myth of Tiananmen And the Price of a Passive Press, by Jay Mathews, Columbia Journalism Review
• The Tiananmen Square Confrontation, Alternative Insight
• The Virtual Museum of China '89
• Eyeballing Tiananmen Square Massacre - Photo Gallery
• Tienanmen Square, 1989 The Declassified History
• Victims of June 4th Massacre
• The Gate of Heavenly Peace - Feature-length Documentary