Reactions to Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Encyclopedia
The events at Tiananmen were the first of their type shown in detail on Western
television. The Chinese government's response was denounced, particularly by Western governments and media. Criticism came from both Western
and Eastern Europe
, North America, Australia and some east Asia
n and Latin America
n countries. Notably, many Asian countries remained silent throughout the protests; the government of India responded to the massacre by ordering the state television to pare down the coverage to the barest minimum, so as not to jeopardize a thawing in relations with China, and to offer political empathy for the events. North Korea
, Cuba
, Czechoslovakia
, and East Germany, among others, supported the Chinese government and denounced the protests. Overseas Chinese students demonstrated in many cities in Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia.
United Nations: Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar
was concerned at the incident, adding that the government should uphold the utmost restraint, but also noted that the UN Charter prohibits interference in member states' internal affairs (especially member states with a Security Council veto).
From 7 August to 1 September 1989 the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (a part of the Commission on Human Rights) met in Geneva for its thirty-seventh meeting. This meeting was the first time since the killings in June “that a human rights meeting ha[d] begun discussing the subject." At the meeting resolution 1989/5 was adopted by secret ballot on 31 August 1989. The resolution, also called “Situation in China” states the Committee was concerned about what had occurred in China and the implications the crackdown would have on the future of human rights. The resolution has two points:
On 1 December 1989 the permanent representative of People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the United Nations Ambassador Li Luye replied to the Sub-Commission’s adoption of resolution 1989/5 by stating that it was “a brutal interference in China’s internal affairs." Li also stated that the “Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China issued a statement on 2 September 1989, solemnly declaring the firm objection of the Chinese Government to the resolution and deeming it to be illegal and null and void."
At the forty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights in January 1990 Li distributed a letter as a document for the meeting. In the letter Li reaffirms the position of the Chinese Government toward the resolution and that “actions to put an end to the turmoil and quell the rebellion were justified and legitimate." He also states that the punishment of “criminals” who have “violated the criminal law” is justified and that a small number of Western nations are using the United Nations to interfere internal affairs, which is a clear and complete violation of the UN Charter and international relations.
The forty-sixth session found the Chinese claim of interference in internal affairs indefensible and that “massive violation” of human rights concerned of the international community. It also stated that China had accepted voluntarily the obligations of upholding the human rights of its citizens. When accepted into the United Nations in 1971, China was “bound by established human rights standards which are part of the customary law or which have been accepted by the international community."
The European Economic Community
condemned the government response and cancelled all high level contacts and loans. They planned a resolution at the UNHCR criticising China's human rights
record. The EU maintains an arms embargo against China to this day.
Australia: The Prime Minister, Bob Hawke
, wept at a memorial service in the Great Hall in Parliament. The Australian government granted Chinese students a four year asylum to stay in Australia.
Myanmar: The government supported the actions of the Chinese government, while opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
condemned them, saying: "We deplore it. It happened in Burma
and we wanted the world to stand by Burma, so we stand by the Chinese students."
Canada: The External Affairs Minister Joe Clark
described the incident as "inexcusable" and issued a statement: "We can only express horror and outrage at the senseless violence and tragic loss of life resulting from the indiscriminate and brutal use of force against students and civilians of Peking." In Vancouver
, varying reactions to the military action
led to friction in the city's Chinese community.
Czechoslovakia: The government of Czechoslovakia supported the Chinese government's response, expressing the idea that China would overcome its problems and further develop socialism. In response, the Chinese side "highly valued the understanding shown by the Czechoslovak Communist Party and people" for suppressing the "anti-socialist" riots in Beijing.
Early Modern France: The French Foreign Minister, Roland Dumas
, said he was "dismayed by the bloody repression" of "an unarmed crowd of demonstrators."
German Democratic Republic: The government of the German Democratic Republic
approved of the military action. On 8 June the Volkskammer unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Chinese government's use of force. High-ranking politicians from the ruling SED
party, including Hans Modrow
, Günter Schabowski
and Egon Krenz
, were in China shortly afterward on a goodwill visit. In contrast, members of the general population, including ordinary SED party members, participated in protests against the actions of the Chinese government.
West Germany: The West German Foreign Ministry urged China "to return to its universally welcomed policies of reform and openness."
Holy See: The Holy See of Vatican City
has no official diplomatic relations with China, but Pope John Paul II expressed hope that the events in China would bring change.
Hong Kong: The military action severely affected perceptions of the mainland. 200,000 people protested against the Chinese government's response, with the latter considering the protests as "subversive". The people of Hong Kong hoped that the chaos on the mainland would destabilize the Beijing Government and thus avert its reunification with the rest of mainland China. The Sino-British Joint Declaration
was also called into question. Demonstrations continued for several days, and wreaths were placed outside the Xinhua News Agency
office in the city. This further fueled the mass migration wave of Hong Kong people out of Hong Kong.
Hungary: The Hungarian government, which was undergoing political reform, reacted strongly to the incident. The Foreign Minister described the events as a "horrible tragedy", and the government expressed "shock", adding that "fundamental human rights could not be exclusively confined to the internal affairs of any country." Demonstrations were held outside the Chinese embassy. Hungary was the only country in Europe to have substantially reduced relations with China in the aftermath of the events.
India: The government of India
responded by ordering the state television to pare down the coverage to the barest minimum. The government’s monopoly over television two decades ago helped Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
signal to Beijing that India would not revel in China’s domestic troubles and offer some political empathy instead.
Italy: The Italian Communist Party
leader Achille Occhetto
condemned the "unspeakable slaughter in progress in China".
Japan: The Japanese government called the response "intolerable" and froze loans to China. Japan was also the first member of the G7 to restore high level relations with China in the following months.
Kuwait: Kuwait voiced understanding of the measures taken by the Chinese authorities to protect social stability.
Macau
: 150,000 protested in Macau.
Mongolia: Many reformists had been aware of the international reaction to the military action, and chose to follow the democratic changes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Netherlands: The Dutch government
froze diplomatic relations with China, and summoned the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires Li Qin Ping expressing shock at the "violent and brutal actions of the People's Liberation Army."
Philippines: President Corazon Aquino
expressed sadness at the incident, urging the Chinese government to "urgently and immediately take steps to stop the aggressive and senseless killing by its armed forces". Socialist labor organization Kilusang Mayo Uno at first initially supported the action taken by Chinese authorities, though later issued a "rectified position" which blamed "insufficient information and improper decision making process".
Poland: The Polish government criticised the response of the Chinese government but not the government itself. A government spokesman called the incident "tragic", with "sincere sympathy for the families of those killed and injured." Daily protests and hunger strikes took place outside the Chinese embassy in Warsaw. The government also expressed hope that it did not affect Sino-Polish relations.
After Solidarity assumed the political leadership of Poland, the new government issued new stamps to commemorate the student protests in Tiananmen Square in China in the Spring of 1989.
Romania: Nicolae Ceauşescu
praised the military action, and in a reciprocal move, China sent Qiao Shi
to the Romanian Communist Party Congress in August 1989, at which Ceauşescu was re-elected. Ceauşescu would later be overthrown and executed by the people of his country in December of that same year.
Republic of China (Taiwan): President Lee Teng-hui
issued a statement on 4 June strongly condemning the mainland Chinese response: "Early this morning, Chinese communist troops finally used military force to attack the students and others demonstrating peacefully for democracy and freedom in Tiananmen Square in Peking, resulting in heavy casualties and loss of life. Although we anticipated this mad action of the Chinese communists beforehand, it still has moved us to incomparable grief, indignation and shock." The authorities also lifted a ban on telephone communications to encourage private contacts and counter the news blackout
on the mainland.
Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
, speaking on behalf of the Cabinet, said they were shocked and saddened by the response of the Chinese government, adding that "we had expected the Chinese government to apply the doctrine of minimum force when an army is used to quell civil disorder
."
Soviet Union: General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev did not explicitly condemn the actions, but called for reform. There was an interest on building relations on a recent summit in Beijing, but the events fueled discussion on human rights and Soviet foreign policy. There was some private criticism of the Chinese response. Newly formed opposition groups condemned the military action. Ten days after the incident the government expressed regret, calling for political dialogue. Public demonstrations occurred at the Chinese embassy in Moscow. A spokesman on 10 June said the Kremlin was "extremely dismayed" at the incident.
South Korea: The Foreign Ministry expressed "grave concern" and hoped for no further deterioration of the situation. The statement also encouraged dialogue to resolve the issue peacefully.
Sweden: The Swedish government
froze diplomatic relations with China.
Thailand: The Thai government had the warmest relations with Beijing out of all ASEAN members, and expressed confidence that the "fluid situation" in China had passed its "critical point", though it was concerned that it could delay a settlement in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War.
United Kingdom: The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher
, expressed "utter revulsion and outrage", and was "appalled by the indiscriminate shooting of unarmed people." She promised to relax immigration laws for Hong Kong residents.
United States: Officially the United States Congress
and media responded indignantly to the unfolding situation. President George H. W. Bush
suspended military sales and visits. Large scale protests took place around the country. However, George Washington University revealed that, through high-level secret channels on 30 June 1989, the US government conveyed to the government of the People's Republic of China that the events around the Tiananmen Square protests were an "internal affair" which could be dealt with as the Chinese government wished.
Vietnam: despite Vietnam and China's history of strained relations, the Vietnamese government quietly supported the Chinese government. Media reported on the protests but offered no commentary, and state radio added that the PLA could not have stopped the action after "hooligans and ruffians insulted or beat up soldiers" and destroyed military vehicles. The government expressed that it wanted better relations with China, but did not want to go to the "extremes of Eastern Europe
or Tiananmen" – referring to its own stability.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia: The national news agency Tanjug
in the non-aligned
country said the protest became a "symbol of destroyed illusions and also a symbol of sacrificed ideals which have been cut off by machine gun volleys and squashed under the caterpillars of heavy vehicles."
The CCP
The CCP
, under the leadership of Premier Li Peng
and party leader Jiang Zemin
, sought to minimize the impact of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on China’s international image. They gave multiple “reassuring public speeches” in an attempt to avoid the loss of Most Favoured Nation
trade status with the United States as well as to alter the opinion of overseas Chinese
. Beijing offered inducements to the overseas Chinese intellectuals that lead the overseas pro-democratic movements, attempting to regain their loyalty. Many overseas Chinese, however, view the June 4th Incident as yet another example of communist repression in a long string of similar incidents.
hung over their heads. Reunification, even under the "one country, two systems
" doctrine sent hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers scrambling for a chance to immigrate to another country. In the end “thousands of people..., disillusioned and worried about their future, moved overseas”.
But many Hong Kong denizens continued to protest the crackdown in the PRC
, calling for unity with the Chinese people in fighting for democracy.
commented that “people in Taiwan think that Tiananmen Square is very far away... They think that we have plenty of local issues to be concerned about. Other than the Hands across the island demonstration, there seemed to only be a "muted and controlled local response to the upheaval in China."
What demonstrations did happen seemed "more dutiful than enthusiastic".
President Lee Teng-hui
issued a statement on 4 June commenting that "although [the Taiwanese government] anticipated this mad action of the Chinese communists beforehand, it still has moved us to incomparable grief, indignation and shock".
was picketed by 30,000 protesters of Chinese descent or their supporters. Members of the protest called for an end to the bloodshed as well as “death to Premier Li Peng
”. Five Hundred Chinese Canadians rallied in front of the Chinese consulate in Vancouver
. In Halifax, one hundred Chinese students protested the actions of the PLA
and the resulting violence. Chinese students at the University of Manitoba
held their protests in the provincial legislature. Allan Chan, from the University of Calgary
, commented that the government action was inevitable because “the students tried to push too hard... [and that] you can't change a whole society overnight”. Yan Xiaoqiao, a PhD chemistry student enrolled in Simon Fraser University
, said “today is one of the darkest days in Chinese history”.
Many of the Chinese foreign exchange students studying in Canada opted to apply for permanent residency
in the aftermath of June 4 rather than return to China.
Setting a precedent
As veterans of the June 4th movement settled into lives in their adopted countries some, like Wang Dan
chose to continue the fight against the CCP. He, along with 4 other protesters launched a lawsuit against Li Peng
for his part in the military crackdown. Their goal was to “prove that he is accountable for the crime, and that this kind of crime, the human rights violation, is beyond China’s borders”.
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
television. The Chinese government's response was denounced, particularly by Western governments and media. Criticism came from both Western
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, North America, Australia and some east Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries. Notably, many Asian countries remained silent throughout the protests; the government of India responded to the massacre by ordering the state television to pare down the coverage to the barest minimum, so as not to jeopardize a thawing in relations with China, and to offer political empathy for the events. North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and East Germany, among others, supported the Chinese government and denounced the protests. Overseas Chinese students demonstrated in many cities in Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia.
Organizations
United Nations: Secretary-General Javier Perez de CuellarJavier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
was concerned at the incident, adding that the government should uphold the utmost restraint, but also noted that the UN Charter prohibits interference in member states' internal affairs (especially member states with a Security Council veto).
From 7 August to 1 September 1989 the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (a part of the Commission on Human Rights) met in Geneva for its thirty-seventh meeting. This meeting was the first time since the killings in June “that a human rights meeting ha[d] begun discussing the subject." At the meeting resolution 1989/5 was adopted by secret ballot on 31 August 1989. The resolution, also called “Situation in China” states the Committee was concerned about what had occurred in China and the implications the crackdown would have on the future of human rights. The resolution has two points:
- Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Commission on Human Rights information provided by the Government of China and by other reliable sources;
- Makes an appeal for clemency, in particular in favour of persons deprived of their liberty as a result of the above-mentioned events.
On 1 December 1989 the permanent representative of People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the United Nations Ambassador Li Luye replied to the Sub-Commission’s adoption of resolution 1989/5 by stating that it was “a brutal interference in China’s internal affairs." Li also stated that the “Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China issued a statement on 2 September 1989, solemnly declaring the firm objection of the Chinese Government to the resolution and deeming it to be illegal and null and void."
At the forty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights in January 1990 Li distributed a letter as a document for the meeting. In the letter Li reaffirms the position of the Chinese Government toward the resolution and that “actions to put an end to the turmoil and quell the rebellion were justified and legitimate." He also states that the punishment of “criminals” who have “violated the criminal law” is justified and that a small number of Western nations are using the United Nations to interfere internal affairs, which is a clear and complete violation of the UN Charter and international relations.
The forty-sixth session found the Chinese claim of interference in internal affairs indefensible and that “massive violation” of human rights concerned of the international community. It also stated that China had accepted voluntarily the obligations of upholding the human rights of its citizens. When accepted into the United Nations in 1971, China was “bound by established human rights standards which are part of the customary law or which have been accepted by the international community."
The European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
condemned the government response and cancelled all high level contacts and loans. They planned a resolution at the UNHCR criticising China's human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
record. The EU maintains an arms embargo against China to this day.
Countries
Australia: The Prime Minister, Bob HawkeBob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
, wept at a memorial service in the Great Hall in Parliament. The Australian government granted Chinese students a four year asylum to stay in Australia.
Myanmar: The government supported the actions of the Chinese government, while opposition leader Aung San Suu KyiAung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
condemned them, saying: "We deplore it. It happened in Burma
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
and we wanted the world to stand by Burma, so we stand by the Chinese students."
Canada: The External Affairs Minister Joe ClarkJoe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
described the incident as "inexcusable" and issued a statement: "We can only express horror and outrage at the senseless violence and tragic loss of life resulting from the indiscriminate and brutal use of force against students and civilians of Peking." In Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, varying reactions to the military action
Vancouver's Reaction to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre
There were international reactions toward the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. In Vancouver, British Columbia, the Chinese community was among those who stood against the Chinese Communist Party’s decision to take military action against student protesters...
led to friction in the city's Chinese community.
Czechoslovakia: The government of Czechoslovakia supported the Chinese government's response, expressing the idea that China would overcome its problems and further develop socialism. In response, the Chinese side "highly valued the understanding shown by the Czechoslovak Communist Party and people" for suppressing the "anti-socialist" riots in Beijing. Early Modern France: The French Foreign Minister, Roland DumasRoland Dumas
Roland Dumas is a lawyer and French Socialist politician who served notably as Foreign Minister under President François Mitterrand from 1984 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1993...
, said he was "dismayed by the bloody repression" of "an unarmed crowd of demonstrators."
German Democratic Republic: The government of the German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
approved of the military action. On 8 June the Volkskammer unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Chinese government's use of force. High-ranking politicians from the ruling SED
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
party, including Hans Modrow
Hans Modrow
Hans Modrow is a German politician, best known as the last communist premier of East Germany. He currently is the honorary Chairman of the Left Party....
, Günter Schabowski
Günter Schabowski
Günter Schabowski is a former official of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , the ruling party during most of the existence of the German Democratic Republic...
and Egon Krenz
Egon Krenz
Egon Krenz is a former politician from East Germany , and that country's last Communist leader...
, were in China shortly afterward on a goodwill visit. In contrast, members of the general population, including ordinary SED party members, participated in protests against the actions of the Chinese government.
West Germany: The West German Foreign Ministry urged China "to return to its universally welcomed policies of reform and openness." Holy See: The Holy See of Vatican CityVatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
has no official diplomatic relations with China, but Pope John Paul II expressed hope that the events in China would bring change.
Hong Kong: The military action severely affected perceptions of the mainland. 200,000 people protested against the Chinese government's response, with the latter considering the protests as "subversive". The people of Hong Kong hoped that the chaos on the mainland would destabilize the Beijing Government and thus avert its reunification with the rest of mainland China. The Sino-British Joint DeclarationSino-British Joint Declaration
The Sino-British Joint Declaration, formally known as the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong, was signed by the Prime Ministers, Zhao Ziyang and Margaret...
was also called into question. Demonstrations continued for several days, and wreaths were placed outside the Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
office in the city. This further fueled the mass migration wave of Hong Kong people out of Hong Kong.
Hungary: The Hungarian government, which was undergoing political reform, reacted strongly to the incident. The Foreign Minister described the events as a "horrible tragedy", and the government expressed "shock", adding that "fundamental human rights could not be exclusively confined to the internal affairs of any country." Demonstrations were held outside the Chinese embassy. Hungary was the only country in Europe to have substantially reduced relations with China in the aftermath of the events. India: The government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
responded by ordering the state television to pare down the coverage to the barest minimum. The government’s monopoly over television two decades ago helped Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
signal to Beijing that India would not revel in China’s domestic troubles and offer some political empathy instead.
Italy: The Italian Communist PartyItalian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
leader Achille Occhetto
Achille Occhetto
Achille Occhetto , nicknamed Akel, is an Italian political figure.-Biography:Occhetto was born in Turin. He served as the secretary-general of the Italian Communist Party between 1988 and 1994 Achille Occhetto (born 3 March 1936), nicknamed Akel, is an Italian political figure.-Biography:Occhetto...
condemned the "unspeakable slaughter in progress in China".
Japan: The Japanese government called the response "intolerable" and froze loans to China. Japan was also the first member of the G7 to restore high level relations with China in the following months. Kuwait: Kuwait voiced understanding of the measures taken by the Chinese authorities to protect social stability. MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
: 150,000 protested in Macau.
Mongolia: Many reformists had been aware of the international reaction to the military action, and chose to follow the democratic changes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Netherlands: The Dutch governmentCabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
froze diplomatic relations with China, and summoned the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires Li Qin Ping expressing shock at the "violent and brutal actions of the People's Liberation Army."
Philippines: President Corazon AquinoCorazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
expressed sadness at the incident, urging the Chinese government to "urgently and immediately take steps to stop the aggressive and senseless killing by its armed forces". Socialist labor organization Kilusang Mayo Uno at first initially supported the action taken by Chinese authorities, though later issued a "rectified position" which blamed "insufficient information and improper decision making process".
Poland: The Polish government criticised the response of the Chinese government but not the government itself. A government spokesman called the incident "tragic", with "sincere sympathy for the families of those killed and injured." Daily protests and hunger strikes took place outside the Chinese embassy in Warsaw. The government also expressed hope that it did not affect Sino-Polish relations.After Solidarity assumed the political leadership of Poland, the new government issued new stamps to commemorate the student protests in Tiananmen Square in China in the Spring of 1989.
Romania: Nicolae CeauşescuNicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
praised the military action, and in a reciprocal move, China sent Qiao Shi
Qiao Shi
Qiao Shi is a politician in the People's Republic of China. He was born as Jiang Zhitong , to parents of Dinghai, Zhejiang province ancestry. He is said to be distantly related to Chiang Kai-shek's family and this was the cause for the persecution he suffered during the Cultural Revolution...
to the Romanian Communist Party Congress in August 1989, at which Ceauşescu was re-elected. Ceauşescu would later be overthrown and executed by the people of his country in December of that same year.
Republic of China (Taiwan): President Lee Teng-huiLee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
issued a statement on 4 June strongly condemning the mainland Chinese response: "Early this morning, Chinese communist troops finally used military force to attack the students and others demonstrating peacefully for democracy and freedom in Tiananmen Square in Peking, resulting in heavy casualties and loss of life. Although we anticipated this mad action of the Chinese communists beforehand, it still has moved us to incomparable grief, indignation and shock." The authorities also lifted a ban on telephone communications to encourage private contacts and counter the news blackout
Media blackout
Media blackout refers to the censorship of news related to a certain topic, particularly in mass media, for any reason. A media blackout may be voluntary, or may in some countries be enforced by the government or state. The latter case is controversial in peacetime, as some regard it as a human...
on the mainland.
Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, speaking on behalf of the Cabinet, said they were shocked and saddened by the response of the Chinese government, adding that "we had expected the Chinese government to apply the doctrine of minimum force when an army is used to quell civil disorder
Civil disorder
Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest or civil strife, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe one or more forms of disturbance caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance is typically a symptom of, and a form of protest against, major socio-political problems;...
."
Soviet Union: General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev did not explicitly condemn the actions, but called for reform. There was an interest on building relations on a recent summit in Beijing, but the events fueled discussion on human rights and Soviet foreign policy. There was some private criticism of the Chinese response. Newly formed opposition groups condemned the military action. Ten days after the incident the government expressed regret, calling for political dialogue. Public demonstrations occurred at the Chinese embassy in Moscow. A spokesman on 10 June said the Kremlin was "extremely dismayed" at the incident. South Korea: The Foreign Ministry expressed "grave concern" and hoped for no further deterioration of the situation. The statement also encouraged dialogue to resolve the issue peacefully. Sweden: The Swedish governmentGovernment of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
froze diplomatic relations with China.
Thailand: The Thai government had the warmest relations with Beijing out of all ASEAN members, and expressed confidence that the "fluid situation" in China had passed its "critical point", though it was concerned that it could delay a settlement in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. United Kingdom: The Prime Minister, Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, expressed "utter revulsion and outrage", and was "appalled by the indiscriminate shooting of unarmed people." She promised to relax immigration laws for Hong Kong residents.
United States: Officially the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and media responded indignantly to the unfolding situation. President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
suspended military sales and visits. Large scale protests took place around the country. However, George Washington University revealed that, through high-level secret channels on 30 June 1989, the US government conveyed to the government of the People's Republic of China that the events around the Tiananmen Square protests were an "internal affair" which could be dealt with as the Chinese government wished.
Vietnam: despite Vietnam and China's history of strained relations, the Vietnamese government quietly supported the Chinese government. Media reported on the protests but offered no commentary, and state radio added that the PLA could not have stopped the action after "hooligans and ruffians insulted or beat up soldiers" and destroyed military vehicles. The government expressed that it wanted better relations with China, but did not want to go to the "extremes of Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
or Tiananmen" – referring to its own stability.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia: The national news agency TanjugTanjug
Tanjug was founded on November 5, 1943. It is now a Serbian news agency based in Belgrade....
in the non-aligned
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
country said the protest became a "symbol of destroyed illusions and also a symbol of sacrificed ideals which have been cut off by machine gun volleys and squashed under the caterpillars of heavy vehicles."
The CCPCommunist Party of ChinaThe Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
and the aftermath of the incident
The CCPCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, under the leadership of Premier Li Peng
Li Peng
Li Peng served as the fourth Premier of the People's Republic of China, between 1987 and 1998, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from 1998 to 2003. For much of the 1990s Li was ranked second in the Communist Party of China ...
and party leader Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
, sought to minimize the impact of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on China’s international image. They gave multiple “reassuring public speeches” in an attempt to avoid the loss of Most Favoured Nation
Most favoured nation
In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must, nominally, receive equal trade advantages as the...
trade status with the United States as well as to alter the opinion of overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
. Beijing offered inducements to the overseas Chinese intellectuals that lead the overseas pro-democratic movements, attempting to regain their loyalty. Many overseas Chinese, however, view the June 4th Incident as yet another example of communist repression in a long string of similar incidents.
Hong Kong
Following the crackdown, rallies supporting Tiananmen Square protesters erupted throughout the world. In the days following the initial crackdown, 200,000 people in Hong Kong formed a massive rally, one of the largest in Hong Kong’s history, to mourn the dead and protest the Chinese government’s brutality. This protest was also tinged with fear, however, as the spectre of reunification with ChinaChinese reunification
Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...
hung over their heads. Reunification, even under the "one country, two systems
One country, two systems
"One country, two systems" is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping, then Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China , for the reunification of China during the early 1980s...
" doctrine sent hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers scrambling for a chance to immigrate to another country. In the end “thousands of people..., disillusioned and worried about their future, moved overseas”.
But many Hong Kong denizens continued to protest the crackdown in the PRC
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, calling for unity with the Chinese people in fighting for democracy.
Taiwan
While many in Taiwan also protested the CCP’s handling of the June 4th crackdown, going so far as to stage a "hands across the island" demonstration, there seemed to be an ambivalence to the events in China. Chou Tien-Jui, publisher of a weekly news magazine called The JournalistThe Journalist
The Journalist is a 1967 Soviet film, a romance-drama. It was produced by one of the most reputable Russian directors Sergei Gerasimov who also wrote a screenplay. The film stars Galina Polskikh and Yuri N.Vasiliev and tells a story of love between a successful Moscow journalist and a girl in a...
commented that “people in Taiwan think that Tiananmen Square is very far away... They think that we have plenty of local issues to be concerned about. Other than the Hands across the island demonstration, there seemed to only be a "muted and controlled local response to the upheaval in China."
What demonstrations did happen seemed "more dutiful than enthusiastic".
President Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
issued a statement on 4 June commenting that "although [the Taiwanese government] anticipated this mad action of the Chinese communists beforehand, it still has moved us to incomparable grief, indignation and shock".
Canada
June 5, 1989 was marked by mass protests against the Beijing government by Chinese Canadians. The Chinese consulate in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
was picketed by 30,000 protesters of Chinese descent or their supporters. Members of the protest called for an end to the bloodshed as well as “death to Premier Li Peng
Li Peng
Li Peng served as the fourth Premier of the People's Republic of China, between 1987 and 1998, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from 1998 to 2003. For much of the 1990s Li was ranked second in the Communist Party of China ...
”. Five Hundred Chinese Canadians rallied in front of the Chinese consulate in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. In Halifax, one hundred Chinese students protested the actions of the PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
and the resulting violence. Chinese students at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
held their protests in the provincial legislature. Allan Chan, from the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
, commented that the government action was inevitable because “the students tried to push too hard... [and that] you can't change a whole society overnight”. Yan Xiaoqiao, a PhD chemistry student enrolled in Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, said “today is one of the darkest days in Chinese history”.
Many of the Chinese foreign exchange students studying in Canada opted to apply for permanent residency
Permanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
in the aftermath of June 4 rather than return to China.
Setting a precedentPrecedentIn common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
in law - United States
As veterans of the June 4th movement settled into lives in their adopted countries some, like Wang DanWang Dan
Wang Dan , a leader of the Chinese democracy movement, was one of the most visible of the student leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Wang holds a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. From August 2009 to February 2010, Wang taught cross-strait history at Taiwan's National...
chose to continue the fight against the CCP. He, along with 4 other protesters launched a lawsuit against Li Peng
Li Peng
Li Peng served as the fourth Premier of the People's Republic of China, between 1987 and 1998, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from 1998 to 2003. For much of the 1990s Li was ranked second in the Communist Party of China ...
for his part in the military crackdown. Their goal was to “prove that he is accountable for the crime, and that this kind of crime, the human rights violation, is beyond China’s borders”.