EDITORIAL | Remember Tiananmen Massacre as China's Influence Rises

Tuesday, June 4 marked the 35th anniversary of the infamous Tiananmen Massacre in the Chinese capital of Beijing. On that date, the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) violently suppressed students and other Chinese who had dared call for democracy. The bloody quashing of dissent resulted in many casualties. 

Once again in 2024, the Tiananmen Mothers, a group of bereaved members from families of some of those young people who died that day, spoke out. They demanded that the government accept responsibility for the incident and apologize. However, this year again the Chinese government turned a deaf ear to their appeal. 

The attitude of Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders is inhumane and intolerable. 

Tightened Surveillance

Ahead of the June 4 anniversary, the government's security apparatus tightened its surveillance of family members and human rights activists. They censored references to the "Tiananmen Incident" and other related terms on the Internet in China. Not stopping there, they also blocked slang terms referring to the tragedy without actually mentioning it, like "May 35."  Such obsessive efforts to prevent any mention of the bloodbath are truly bizarre. This June 4, as in previous years, the foreign media, however, told the world about the current situation in China. 

The CCP's efforts to expunge the Tiananmen Massacre from the historical record were not limited to China proper. China previously promised "freedom of expression" and "freedom of assembly" under its much-ballyhooed "one country, two systems" formula. However, for those who wanted to hold remembrance events in Hong Kong to mark the tragedy, these principles were nowhere to be seen. 

Since Hong Kong's National Security Law took effect in 2020, such remembrances, which had become a local tradition, have been de facto banned. The "Pillar of National Shame," which was erected at Hong Kong University as a memorial to the victims, has also been removed. 

Citizens of Hong Kong were also recently arrested for violating the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. That new law took effect in March to complement the National Security Law. Citizens were charged with posting comments online commemorating the Tiananmen Massacre.

How Not to Preserve Freedom

Hong Kong has become a showcase for how freedom is eroded under a Communist regime. As June 4 approaches each year, the media carries reports of how different Hong Kong is "after" compared to "before" reversion. Significantly, these reports let people around the world know how distorted things have become. 

Doesn't the Xi Jinping regime realize that it is digging its own grave? True, there are quite a few undemocratic nations in Asia and Africa that have forged deep ties with China. However, June 4 should stand as a stark reminder to people living in those countries what the future has in store for them if Chinese influence continues to grow.

It is only natural that fear and loathing of China will spread, as it has in Taiwan. If China does not want to continue sowing the seeds of anti-Chinese sentiment, it must squarely face its past. Moreover, Beijing should come clean about the actual number of casualties in the June 4 crackdown, admit responsibility, apologize to family members and the Chinese people, and wipe clean this shameful page in history.

Japan's Responsibility to Tell the Truth

In the wake of Tiananmen, it was the government of Japan that took the lead in lifting the sanctions imposed on China. Meanwhile, Tokyo left the truth about the incident and the issue of responsibility unclear. 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida should not forget this bitter legacy. How about naming every June 4 as a "Day to Press China to Improve Its Human Rights Record."

We must never forget that people in China and Hong Kong, who have been deprived of their freedom, expect much of Japan as an Asian democratic nation and neighbor. 

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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun