Taiwan President Criticizes China's Handling of Tiananmen Massacre

Taipei, Taiwan – Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has strongly criticized China's approach to the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, urging Beijing to confront its history and acknowledge the truth.

Speaking on the second anniversary of his inauguration, Lai stated that a "truly great country" should not depend on a powerful military but should instead face the wounds of its past. He expressed hope that China would acknowledge the events of June 4, 1989, recognize the truth, and initiate a dialogue.

China does not officially commemorate the Tiananmen Square events. Security forces were visible around Tiananmen Square in Beijing, while tourists frequented the area. The protests, which began in mid-April 1989 following the death of reformist Communist Party General Secretary Hu Yaobang, called for greater political participation and an end to corruption. The government's violent suppression of these weeks-long protests by the military resulted in hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths from gunfire in the streets surrounding the square. The exact casualty count remains unknown.

Families of the victims, known as the "Tiananmen Mothers," continue to demand clarification and compensation, stating that the government shirks its responsibility by refusing reparations and suppressing public discussion. In Hong Kong, artist Chen Sanmu displayed a 6.4-meter red thread near Victoria Park, a traditional site for commemorations that has been prohibited by authorities since the COVID-19 pandemic. Chen was reportedly questioned by plainclothes police shortly after.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the anniversary, asserting that censorship cannot erase the memory of the military's attacks on peaceful demonstrators in 1989. The largest remembrance gatherings are now held in Taiwan, an island that China claims as its own territory.