China issues strong rebuke after Blinken's Tiananmen Square comments

Beijing, China - China lashed out at the US on Wednesday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed never to forget the crackdown in Tiananmen Square 35 years ago.

Blinken called the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989 a "massacre" in a recent post on X, sparking backlash from Chinese officials.
Blinken called the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989 a "massacre" in a recent post on X, sparking backlash from Chinese officials.  © Collage: IMAGO/Kyodo News/SOPA Images

On Tuesday, Blinken commemorated the 35th anniversary of Tiananmen Square in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

In the post, he referred to the event as a "massacre," something which Beijing has taken issue with.

"The move of the US seriously interferes with China's internal affairs," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

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"China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes it."

Spokesperson Mao Ning called on the US to "stop provoking ideological confrontation, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights."

Chinese officials have been unhappy with US rhetoric around Tiananmen Square since 1989

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had strong words to say about Blinken's Tiananmen Square comments.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had strong words to say about Blinken's Tiananmen Square comments.  © IMAGO/Kyodo News

Chinese troops and tanks forcibly dispersed peaceful protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, quelling huge, weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms.

The exact death toll is unknown, but estimates remain in the hundreds or even thousands.

Ever since, China's leaders have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown, leading to tensions arising whenever it is mentioned by foreign leaders.

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Mao Ning on Wednesday insisted that Beijing "has made clear conclusions on the political turbulences that occurred in the 1980s... We urge the US to correct immediately its mistakes (and) truly respect China's sovereignty and development path."

"Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre," Blinken had written in the post. "We stand with those in the People’s Republic of China and around the world who fight against injustice and seek freedom, and we remember those who have been silenced."

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/Kyodo News/SOPA Images

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