Tiananmen Papers
Encyclopedia
The Tiananmen Papers was first published in English in January 2001 by PublicAffairs
. The extended Chinese version of this book was published in April that same year under the title 中國六四真相 (Pinyin: Zhōngguó Liùsì Zhēnxiàng, translated as June Fourth: The True Story) by Mirror Books in Hong Kong
. The book is presented as a compilation of selected secret Chinese official documents relating to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
.
The documents used in both books are said to have been made available by a Chinese compiler under the pseudonym Zhang Liang
, whose identity is hidden to protect the individual from potential persecution. The English version of the book was edited and translated by Andrew J. Nathan
, Perry Link
, and Orville Schell
, who claim to place full trust in the compiler.
Speculations about the authenticity of the book have nevertheless been fervent, as the editors were never given the actual physical documents, but rather a reformatted version of the material.
Zhao Ziyang and the conservative faction by Premier
Li Peng
. Zhao appears to have a conciliatory attitude towards the students’ demands, deeming the protests to be mostly patriotic. Li has more of a hardline approach, and attempts to convince paramount leader
Deng Xiaoping
that the protests are causing “turmoil” and that the students are “networking.” The book portrays Deng, the most prominent Party elder, as the main decision maker of the party. Though it appears he “did not play this role happily”, the internal division in the Party required a decision maker. In the end he sides with the conservative faction and decides to dismiss Zhao, appoint Jiang Zemin
as the new premier, declare martial law
, and to clear the square by force.
To determine whether the documents presented in the book are authentic is problematic, if not impossible. While a process of authentication would require a comparison of the documents used in The Tiananmen Papers with the original materials, few of these original documents are available. Sinologist Lowell Dittmer, for example, wrote that though “the question of authenticity is key, it is frustratingly difficult to resolve in this case.” One of the most ardent critics of the book, professor Alfred L. Chan from Huron University College
, has taken this argument even further and claimed that not only is the book partially fictional, it is also “based on open and semi-open” material.
This argument not only discredits the reliability of the book but also puts into question the supposed secrecy of the documents presented in it. One of the editors of the book, Andrew Nathan, rejects these claims in a rejoinder and argues not only that the documents are authentic but also that most of the documents are not available anywhere else.
Because a true validation of The Tiananmen Papers will be possible only through a comparison with the original documents (something which cannot happen unless the compiler reveals his sources or when the Chinese government opens up its archives), the validity of the book remains in question to this day.
Although Nathan claims the documents are authentic, he acknowledges the potential issues selectivity brings. “The materials in The Tiananmen Papers,” he concedes, “have gone through a series of processes, each of which brought the final product further away from the raw material of what happened.” While the selection bias does not necessarily infringe on the assumed authenticity of the book, it is biased in favour of the political agenda of the compiler.
In a short review of the book, Fang Lizhi
laments that it focuses more on the power struggle within the party rather than the student movement itself. The editors have not only acknowledged this agenda but also identified it as the compiler's wish to “spark a reevaluation of what transpired in 1989 and accelerate political liberalization in China.”
has denounced The Tiananmen Papers as fake, and both the Chinese and English version of the book have been banned in the mainland.
One of the editors, Andrew Nathan, has been banned from entering and leaving the country due to his affiliation with the book.
PublicAffairs
PublicAffairs is an imprint of the Perseus Books Group, an American book publishing company located in New York City. From PublicAffairs' web site:...
. The extended Chinese version of this book was published in April that same year under the title 中國六四真相 (Pinyin: Zhōngguó Liùsì Zhēnxiàng, translated as June Fourth: The True Story) by Mirror Books in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The book is presented as a compilation of selected secret Chinese official documents relating to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
.
The documents used in both books are said to have been made available by a Chinese compiler under the pseudonym Zhang Liang
Zhang Liang (author)
Zhang Liang is the pseudonym of the compiler of the controversial book The Tiananmen Papers. Zhang has refused to reveal his true identity for fear of repression and retaliation by the Chinese Communist Party against him, his family, and his friends. Moreover, Zhang contends that he wants to remain...
, whose identity is hidden to protect the individual from potential persecution. The English version of the book was edited and translated by Andrew J. Nathan
Andrew J. Nathan
Andrew J. Nathan is a professor of political science at Columbia University. He specializes in Chinese politics, foreign policy, human rights and political culture. Nathan attended Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. in history, an M.A. in East Asian Studies, and a Ph.D. in Political Science...
, Perry Link
Perry Link
Perry Link is Chancellorial Chair Professor for Innovative TeachingComparative Literature & Foreign Languages in College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at University of California, Riverside and Emeritus Professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton University. He specializes in modern...
, and Orville Schell
Orville Schell
Orville Hickock Schell III is an activist and writer working on China, and is the Arthus Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York...
, who claim to place full trust in the compiler.
Speculations about the authenticity of the book have nevertheless been fervent, as the editors were never given the actual physical documents, but rather a reformatted version of the material.
Contents
The Tiananmen Papers combines various government documents with editor’s notes and footnotes to illustrate the situation within the Chinese Communist Party surrounding the time of the protests. The documents are arranged in a chronological manner, starting in the beginning of April until late June 1989. It portrays a sense of factionalism and power struggle within the Party, in which the reformist faction is headed by General SecretaryGeneral Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
Zhao Ziyang and the conservative faction by Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
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 ...
. Zhao appears to have a conciliatory attitude towards the students’ demands, deeming the protests to be mostly patriotic. Li has more of a hardline approach, and attempts to convince paramount leader
Paramount leader
Paramount leader literally "the highest leader of the party and the state ", in modern Chinese political science, unofficially refers to the political leader of the People's Republic of China....
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
that the protests are causing “turmoil” and that the students are “networking.” The book portrays Deng, the most prominent Party elder, as the main decision maker of the party. Though it appears he “did not play this role happily”, the internal division in the Party required a decision maker. In the end he sides with the conservative faction and decides to dismiss Zhao, appoint 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...
as the new premier, declare martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, and to clear the square by force.
Controversy
Authenticity and selection bias are two main sources of controversy about the book.To determine whether the documents presented in the book are authentic is problematic, if not impossible. While a process of authentication would require a comparison of the documents used in The Tiananmen Papers with the original materials, few of these original documents are available. Sinologist Lowell Dittmer, for example, wrote that though “the question of authenticity is key, it is frustratingly difficult to resolve in this case.” One of the most ardent critics of the book, professor Alfred L. Chan from Huron University College
Huron University College
Huron University College, referred to locally as Huron College is one of the affiliated colleges of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
, has taken this argument even further and claimed that not only is the book partially fictional, it is also “based on open and semi-open” material.
This argument not only discredits the reliability of the book but also puts into question the supposed secrecy of the documents presented in it. One of the editors of the book, Andrew Nathan, rejects these claims in a rejoinder and argues not only that the documents are authentic but also that most of the documents are not available anywhere else.
Because a true validation of The Tiananmen Papers will be possible only through a comparison with the original documents (something which cannot happen unless the compiler reveals his sources or when the Chinese government opens up its archives), the validity of the book remains in question to this day.
Although Nathan claims the documents are authentic, he acknowledges the potential issues selectivity brings. “The materials in The Tiananmen Papers,” he concedes, “have gone through a series of processes, each of which brought the final product further away from the raw material of what happened.” While the selection bias does not necessarily infringe on the assumed authenticity of the book, it is biased in favour of the political agenda of the compiler.
In a short review of the book, Fang Lizhi
Fang Lizhi
Fang Lizhi is a professor of astrophysics and former vice-president of the University of Science and Technology of China whose liberal ideas inspired the pro-democracy student movement of 1986-87 and, finally, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989...
laments that it focuses more on the power struggle within the party rather than the student movement itself. The editors have not only acknowledged this agenda but also identified it as the compiler's wish to “spark a reevaluation of what transpired in 1989 and accelerate political liberalization in China.”
Chinese reception
The Chinese governmentGovernment of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
has denounced The Tiananmen Papers as fake, and both the Chinese and English version of the book have been banned in the mainland.
One of the editors, Andrew Nathan, has been banned from entering and leaving the country due to his affiliation with the book.
External links
- The Tiananmen Papers (publisher's website)
- June Fourth: The True Story (中國「六四」真相) (publisher's website)
- "Release of `Tiananmen Papers' Could Stimulate Chinese Reform," CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, January 7, 2001. - "Chinese Government Says Tiananmen Papers Are Fake," CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, January 9, 2001. - On a related document by Bao TongBao TongBao Tong was former Director of the Office of Political Reform of the CPC Central Committee and the Policy Secretary of Zhao Ziyang, Premier of the State Council, from 1980 to 1985. He was also Director of the Drafting Committee for the CCP 13th Party Congresses, known for its strong support for...
, secretary to Zhao ZiyangZhao ZiyangZhao Ziyang was a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China . He was the third Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1980 to 1987, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1987 to 1989....
: "Secret Paper Shows China 'Rift' over Tiananmen," CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, April 22, 2001. - Interview with "Zhang Liang": "`The Tiananmen Papers' Compiler Discusses His Actions," CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, June 3, 2001. - A defense from one of the editors: Orville Schell, "Analyzing the Tiananmen Papers," TIMETime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, January 15, 2001.