Taiwan commemorates 1989 Tiananmen anniversary amid China-US war of words
Taipei: Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday commemorated the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, urging democracies to preserve history erased by authoritarian regimes.
'Today, we honour those who marched for freedom in Tiananmen Square,' Lai wrote on social media, reaffirming Taiwan's commitment to democracy and human rights. The 1989 protests in Beijing were brutally suppressed by China's military on June 4, and became a symbol of resistance to communist rule. In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio marked the anniversary with a statement condemning the Chinese Communist Party, saying 'the world will never forget.'
'Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989,' Rubio said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded that 'the erroneous remarks made by the US maliciously distort historical facts, deliberately attack China's political system and path of development, and seriously interfere in China's internal affairs.' (DPA)
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