Xi Jinping backs suppression of Tiananmen protest:Says Communist Party made right decision; Chinese army used tanks 36 yrs ago

Chinese President Xi Jinping has backed the Communist Party’s decision to crush the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. He praised former President Jiang Zemin, saying Jiang strongly supported the decision taken by the party’s central leadership at the time and played an important role in handling the situation in Shanghai. Xi made the remarks on Monday at an event marking the 100th birth anniversary of Jiang Zemin. Speaking to thousands of officials and representatives at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi also discussed the challenges facing China. He urged people not to give up during difficult times and to face challenges with determination. Xi said China would firmly protect its national sovereignty, security and development interests. He added that no matter how serious the challenges were, China would not back down. What happened in Tiananmen Square in 1989? In 1989, large protests calling for democratic reforms took place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Thousands of students and ordinary citizens joined the demonstrations, which continued for several weeks. The Chinese army eventually used force to crush the protests, deploying troops and tanks. There is no single, universally accepted figure for the number of people killed. The Chinese government said more than 200 people died, while foreign sources and various estimates have put the death toll at anywhere from hundreds to thousands. The Tiananmen crackdown remains highly sensitive in China. Discussion of the event and the sharing of information about it are still subject to strict restrictions. Jiang Zemin became China’s top leader after Tiananmen Jiang Zemin became General Secretary of the Communist Party of China shortly after the Tiananmen protests were crushed. He succeeded Zhao Ziyang. Zhao was seen as taking a softer approach towards the protesters and was removed from his post. Jiang then rose quickly through the party’s leadership. By 1993, Jiang had become one of China’s most powerful leaders. He served as China’s President from 1993 to 2002. He died on 30 November 2022, aged 96. It is still considered extremely sensitive in China today. There are strict restrictions in China on discussions and the dissemination of information related to this event. Jiang opened China’s economy to the world China’s economy grew rapidly under Jiang Zemin. During his leadership, the country further opened its economy to the rest of the world, while relations with the United States also improved. In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with the US supporting its entry. China’s role in the global economy grew significantly afterwards. However, US-China relations have changed sharply in recent years. Tensions have risen over trade, as well as political and strategic issues involving Taiwan, technology and security. Xi Jinping mentioned China’s achievements Xi also highlighted China’s achievements during his speech, saying that the lives of Chinese people were continuing to improve. However, recent economic data points to a slowdown in China’s growth. Despite this, Xi expressed confidence in the country’s future. He said the prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation were bright. According to Xi, the dream that generations of Chinese people have worked towards was gradually becoming a reality. China’s top leaders attended the event marking Jiang Zemin’s 100th birth anniversary. All seven members of the country’s most powerful Politburo Standing Committee were present.