'37th Anniversary' China Tries to Erase Tiananmen Incident... U.S. and Taiwan Criticize

A Symbol of China's Pro-Democracy Movement

Chinese Communist Party Intensifies Annual Censorship

U.S. Government: "The Truth Cannot Be Erased"

On June 4, the so-called 'Tiananmen Incident,' a symbol of China's pro-democracy movement, marks its 37th anniversary, with the United States and Taiwan criticizing the Chinese Communist Party for its attempts to erase history.

On May 11, people passing through Beijing Tiananmen Square. Photo by Yonhap News

On June 3 (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying, "No censorship can erase the truth of the past" and emphasized, "The world remembers the day the Chinese Communist Party ordered the military to attack peaceful protesters." He described the victims as "students and citizens who demanded democratic reforms and the eradication of corruption," adding, "We remember them, and no amount of censorship can erase history."

Foreign media highlighted that Secretary Rubio's statement came just three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit last month and agreed to ease trade tensions. While this issue is routinely mentioned every year, attention is being drawn to the fact that less than a month has passed since the leaders' summit in Beijing.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te also urged Chinese authorities to "face history and acknowledge the truth." On June 4, he wrote on Facebook, "Thirty-seven years ago, thousands of young people were sacrificed by the military and tanks," adding, "What was trampled on at that time was not only the lives of the protesters but also a generation's aspiration for freedom and democracy."

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the government agency in charge of China policy, also issued a statement the previous day, pointing out that while China commemorates the May 4th Movement of 1919, it strictly forbids any discussion of the Tiananmen Incident. The council further stated, "Since the introduction of direct presidential elections, Taiwan has demonstrated over the past 30 years through peaceful transitions of power and democratic development that liberal democracy can be successfully established in the Chinese cultural sphere," and demanded that China stop its coercive pressure on Taiwan.

The 1989 Tiananmen Incident refers to the bloody crackdown by the Chinese military on student and citizen demonstrations demanding democratic reforms and the eradication of corruption. While it is estimated that hundreds to thousands were killed, the Chinese government continues to strictly censor and prohibit any discussion of the matter to this day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.