On the 36th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the world will never forget what happened on June 4. His statement was an attempt to honor a legacy that China has been trying to hide for years.
He directly accused China of censoring facts. Rubio remembered the students who were martyred in Tiananmen Square. He also mentioned the activists who are still fighting for human rights and freedom of expression today.
However, China has called Rubio’s remarks a serious interference in its internal affairs. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that this statement is a conspiracy to deliberately distort historical facts. China lodges strong protest against this. The Chinese government’s policy on this issue is clear that forgetting Tiananmen is the only option.
It is noteworthy that June 4 is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. 36 years ago on this day in 1989, thousands of students were protesting at Tiananmen Square against the death of Communist Party liberal leader Hu Yaobang. On the night between June 3 and 4, the army opened fire on the protesters. The army used tanks on them. It is believed that more than 3000 people were killed in this incident.