AP PHOTOS: The anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown
For most Chinese, the 36th anniversary of a bloody crackdown that ended pro-democracy protests in China has passed like any other weekday. And that's just how the ruling Communist Party wants it.
Security was tight Wednesday around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in 1989. Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed after the military was sent in to end the protests. The Communist Party bans any public commemoration of the events. In recent years, that ban has been extended to Hong Kong, and it is only in Taiwan that June 4 gatherings can still take place.
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Toronto Sun
15 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong charged under Beijing-imposed security law for second time
Published Jun 06, 2025 • 2 minute read Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong stands outside the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019. Photo by Kin Cheung / AP HONG KONG — Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong on Friday was charged with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under a Beijing-imposed law that critics say has crushed Hong Kong's once-thriving pro-democracy movement. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The prosecution was the second time Wong has been charged under the sweeping national security law. He was already convicted in a separate subversion case linked to an unofficial primary election and was sentenced last year to four years and eight months in jail for that charge. The prosecution accused Wong, 28, of conspiring with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, institutions, organizations or individuals outside of China to impose sanctions or blockades, or engage in other hostile actions, against Hong Kong and China. They also said he disrupted the formulation and implementation of laws and policies by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, and that the act was likely to have serious consequences. The alleged offenses occurred between July 2020 and November 2020. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The prosecution didn't elaborate on the accusations in court. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. After hearing the charge in court, Wong, who wore a blue shirt and was visibly thinner, said he 'understood' the charge. The case was adjourned to August. National security police arrested Wong in Stanley prison on Friday on the new national security charge and also on suspicion of 'dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense,' police said in a statement. Wong rose to prominence in Hong Kong in 2012 as a high school student leading protests against the introduction of national education in the city's schools. Two years later, he became world famous as a leader of the Occupy Movement. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2016, Wong co-founded a political party named Demosisto with fellow young activists Law and Agnes Chow. In the 2019 pro-democracy movement, Wong helped seek overseas support for the protests. His activism led Beijing to label him an advocate of Hong Kong's independence who 'begged for interference' by foreign forces. Demosisto disbanded when Beijing imposed the security law in 2020. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments said the law brought back stability to the city. In 2023, Hong Kong authorities offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to the arrests of Law, who moved to Britain, and several other overseas-based activists. Amnesty International's China Director Sarah Brooks said in a statement that the new prosecution against Wong showed the security law's 'capacity to be used by Hong Kong authorities to threaten human rights in the city is as potent and present as ever.' 'This latest charge against him underscores the authorities' fear of prominent dissidents and shows the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible — in so doing, continuing a chilling effect on civic activism in the city,' she said, urging the government to drop the charge and cease enforcing the law. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA Olympics
Japan Forward
33 minutes ago
- Japan Forward
JINF Report: Is China's Senkaku Takeover Ever Closer?
このページを 日本語 で読む The Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (JINF), chaired by Yoshiko Sakurai, analyzed and assessed the Chinese helicopter that violated Japanese airspace on May 3 near the Senkaku Islands (Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture). JINF, a private think tank, urged the Japanese government to take action, warning that China ultimately "aims to land on the Senkakus." Japanese experts also raised concerns that Japan is being drawn into China's cognitive warfare, a strategy to shape public opinion through disinformation. This article summarizes the key points discussed during JINF's briefing session on May 30. At approximately 12:21 PM on May 3, a Chinese helicopter violated Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes, prompting the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to conduct an emergency scramble in response. Just minutes earlier, at 12:18 PM, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 2303, which was carrying the helicopter, had entered Japanese territorial waters. Around the same time, a Japanese civilian aircraft that departed from New Ishigaki Airport approached the airspace near the Senkakus. Following guidance from the Japanese Coast Guard, the plane turned around at around 12:20 PM, approximately 20 kilometers south of Uotsuri Island. Maki Nakagawa, a researcher at the JINF, outlined the sequence of events surrounding the airspace violation. She suggested that China "may have obtained advance knowledge of the Japanese civilian aircraft's flight plan and used that information to decide when to raise the ladder by deploying the helicopter for an air patrol over the Senkakus." Nakagawa added that it appears preparations were made in advance based on that information. If the Chinese side had indeed accessed Japan's civilian flight patterns in advance, that would be a serious concern in itself. This indicates that the airspace violation was not accidental but rather a carefully coordinated operation. A Chinese helicopter violating Japanese airspace on May 3, 2025. (Photo provided by the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, Naha, Okinawa) After the airspace violation, the China Coast Guard, along with the Chinese foreign ministry and defense ministry, released coordinated statements. They claimed that "a Japanese civilian aircraft had violated the airspace over Diaoyu Island (Chinese name for Senkakus)." The three agencies argued, "It is entirely lawful to take necessary enforcement actions, including issuing a warning to drive the aircraft away." Nakagawa noted that China's statements seek to "assert sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands and legitimize [Chinese] actions under international law." In other words, "China is engaging in a cognitive warfare campaign against Japan by trying to frame the situation as if it were Japan that provoked a violation of Chinese airspace." Kiyofumi Iwata, a member of the JINF and former chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force, also warned that Chinese cognitive warfare is beginning to influence Japanese public perception. Some observers have raised the possibility of a simultaneous Chinese invasion of Taiwan and a landing on the Senkakus. Iwata pointed out that Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, has described China's military exercises around Taiwan since 2024 as a "rehearsal" for a future invasion. Referring to former government officials and experts who spoke to the media about China's recent airspace violation, Iwata said, "Even at this stage, there are still those who claim Japan provoked China's breach of sovereignty." To this, he added, "They have completely fallen into China's cognitive warfare trap, and it's a truly regrettable situation." "As far as I can recall, Chinese coast guard helicopters have been approaching for some time. But they had never [violated our airspace]," said Kazuhisa Shimada, former Vice Minister of Defense and ex-secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "The fact that they did so this time suggests they may now believe Japan's response will not be strong enough to deter them. And that is deeply concerning." Shimada's comments reveal Japan had been caught off guard. Ten days after the airspace violation, on May 13, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya held a press conference and stated that he had protested to China. He repeatedly called the recent incursion into Japan's territorial waters and the violation of its airspace "extremely regrettable." However, he did not announce any new measures in response to China's unprecedented actions. As Shimada pointed out, such a lack of concrete action could very well embolden China to act even more aggressively. There is a view that China is gradually increasing pressure through a "salami slicing tactic," steadily making incremental moves like slicing a salami. "If you ask which side the salami is on, it's Japan," warned Retired Vice Admiral Masanori Yoshida. "But the salami has already been sliced, and the next thing to be cut is our hand." The implication is that the salami is gone, and China's next objective is to set foot on the Senkakus. Iwata concurred, saying, "The salami slicing is over, and we must recognize that the only phase left is a landing." He emphasized the need for the government to secure effective control of the Senkakus and to strengthen the Air Self-Defense Force's response capabilities. Iwata proposed conducting joint Japan-US training exercises on Kuba Island (private property) and Taisho Island (state property). These islands are located approximately 27 kilometers and 110 kilometers, respectively, from Uotsuri Island in the Senkakus. Iwata also recommended establishing an Air Self-Defense Force base at Shimoji Island Airport in Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture. The former chief of staff further stressed the importance of clearly demonstrating Japan's "will and ability" to defend its sovereignty over the Senkakus to China. He expressed serious concern about the response from the Ishiba administration, questioning, "Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, as head of state, has yet to make his intentions clear. Is this acceptable?" Author: Takao Harakawa このページを 日本語 で読む
Canada Standard
an hour ago
- Canada Standard
China willing to work with Canada to promote steady improvement of bilateral ties: Premier Li
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to work with Canada, in the spirit of looking to the future, to promote the steady improvement of bilateral relations, bring them onto a track of sound and steady development, and strive for win-win cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Friday. Speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the phone at the latter's request, Li said that Canada was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and the bilateral relationship was at the forefront of China's ties with Western nations for a long time. However, in recent years, the relationship has suffered serious difficulties due to unnecessary disruptions, he added. The development of China and Canada represents opportunities rather than threats to each other, said Li, noting that there are no fundamental conflicts of interest between the two, only a tradition of friendship and mutual benefits. He expressed hope that the Canadian side will make joint efforts with the Chinese side, view China's development in an objective and rational manner, and work together to achieve shared success and prosperity. Looking ahead, there is enormous potential for China-Canada cooperation as the two economies are highly complementary, said Li, urging both sides to deepen cooperation in traditional areas, expand collaboration in emerging fields such as clean energy, climate change and scientific and technological innovation, and strengthen people-to-people as well as economic and trade exchanges. Li called on both governments to listen to their people, respond to their concerns, and do more to enhance bilateral friendly cooperation and increase mutual understanding and trust. China is willing to work with Canada, on the basis of equality and mutual respect, to seek and expand common ground while shelving and narrowing differences, strengthen exchanges and dialogue in various fields, and address each other's concerns appropriately, Li said. Noting that the current international situation is intertwined with turmoil, and unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, Li said China is ready to work with Canada to jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, promote economic globalization and the multilateral trading system to develop in the right direction, and inject more stability into world peace and development. For his part, Carney said that Canada and China have a profound traditional friendship and China is Canada's second-largest trading partner. While bilateral relations have experienced some setbacks in recent years, he said, Canada is ready to restart its relationship with China. The Canadian side looks forward to resuming high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms in areas such as diplomacy and economic and trade with China, and strengthening pragmatic cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy and environmental protection, he added. In the face of the current international landscape, Canada is willing to enhance communication and coordination with China, jointly safeguard the international financial and trading system, and contribute to promoting global sustainable development, Carney said.
