Latest news with #NgHanGuan
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown passes off quietly
Security was tight on Wednesday around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in 1989. Under then-leader Deng Xiaoping, the military was sent in to end the protest on the night of June 3-4. Using live ammunition, soldiers forced their way through crowds on the streets that tried to block them from reaching the square. Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed, including dozens of soldiers. A plain clothes security person stands on duty near security cameras overlooking Tiananmen Square (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ruling Communist Party has tried, with some success, to erase what it calls the 'political turmoil' of 1989 from the collective memory. It bans any public commemoration or mention of the June 4 crackdown, scrubbing references from the internet. In recent years, that ban has been extended to Hong Kong, where a once-massive annual candlelight vigil is no longer permitted. It is only in Taiwan, the self-governing island that is claimed by China but runs its own affairs, that large June 4 gatherings can still take place. University students occupied Tiananmen Square in the spring of 1989. Their calls for freedoms divided the party leadership. The decision to send in the troops marked a decisive turning point in the evolution of modern China, keeping the party firmly in control as it loosened economic restrictions. Chinese officials have said the country's rapid economic development since then proves the decisions made at the time were correct. 'On the political turmoil that happened in the late 1980s, the Chinese government has already reached a clear conclusion,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday. He added that China would continue along its current path of what it calls 'socialism with Chinese characteristics'. Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by relatives of the victims, made an annual online appeal to the government. Signed by 108 members, it called for an independent investigation into what happened on June 4, 1989, including a list of all who died. The group also demanded compensation for the families and a legal case against those responsible for the deaths. The British and German Embassies in Beijing posted videos commemorating the anniversary on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, but they were later taken down. The Canadian and German Embassies displayed images of a single lit candle on large screens facing the main street. Police officers set up a road block in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong on Wednesday (Chan Long Hei/AP) In Hong Kong, a carnival showcasing Chinese food and products was held in Victoria Park, where tens of thousands of people used to gather in the evening for a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary. Hong Kong authorities first shut down the vigil during the Covid-19 pandemic and arrested the organisers in 2021. The moves were part of a broader crackdown on dissent following monthslong anti-government protests in 2019 that turned violent and paralysed parts of the city. Police were out in force to try to prevent any protest. Jailed vigil organiser Chow Hang-tung said she would go on a 36-hour hunger strike to remember the events of the day. The British and Canadian consulates posted social media messages about not forgetting June 4. Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997. The American consulate posted a message from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on its website. 'The CCP actively tries to censor the facts,' Mr Rubio said, referring to China's Communist Party. 'But the world will never forget.' Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te used the anniversary to position the island he leads on the frontline of defending democracy against authoritarianism. In a Facebook post, he drew a distinction between Taiwan's multiparty democracy and China's one-party rule. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to remain silent and forget about history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideals of human rights and the dreams they embrace,' Mr Lai wrote. Taiwan transitioned from authoritarianism to democracy in a process that began in the late 1980s. It relies on support principally from the US, along with other democratic partners, to deter China from an invasion. The Communist Party says it favours peaceful reunification but does not renounce the use of force. A commemoration and candlelight vigil remembering June 4 was planned for Wednesday evening.
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown passes off quietly
Security was tight on Wednesday around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in 1989. Under then-leader Deng Xiaoping, the military was sent in to end the protest on the night of June 3-4. Using live ammunition, soldiers forced their way through crowds on the streets that tried to block them from reaching the square. Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed, including dozens of soldiers. A plain clothes security person stands on duty near security cameras overlooking Tiananmen Square (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ruling Communist Party has tried, with some success, to erase what it calls the 'political turmoil' of 1989 from the collective memory. It bans any public commemoration or mention of the June 4 crackdown, scrubbing references from the internet. In recent years, that ban has been extended to Hong Kong, where a once-massive annual candlelight vigil is no longer permitted. It is only in Taiwan, the self-governing island that is claimed by China but runs its own affairs, that large June 4 gatherings can still take place. University students occupied Tiananmen Square in the spring of 1989. Their calls for freedoms divided the party leadership. The decision to send in the troops marked a decisive turning point in the evolution of modern China, keeping the party firmly in control as it loosened economic restrictions. Chinese officials have said the country's rapid economic development since then proves the decisions made at the time were correct. 'On the political turmoil that happened in the late 1980s, the Chinese government has already reached a clear conclusion,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday. He added that China would continue along its current path of what it calls 'socialism with Chinese characteristics'. Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by relatives of the victims, made an annual online appeal to the government. Signed by 108 members, it called for an independent investigation into what happened on June 4, 1989, including a list of all who died. The group also demanded compensation for the families and a legal case against those responsible for the deaths. The British and German Embassies in Beijing posted videos commemorating the anniversary on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, but they were later taken down. The Canadian and German Embassies displayed images of a single lit candle on large screens facing the main street. Police officers set up a road block in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong on Wednesday (Chan Long Hei/AP) In Hong Kong, a carnival showcasing Chinese food and products was held in Victoria Park, where tens of thousands of people used to gather in the evening for a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary. Hong Kong authorities first shut down the vigil during the Covid-19 pandemic and arrested the organisers in 2021. The moves were part of a broader crackdown on dissent following monthslong anti-government protests in 2019 that turned violent and paralysed parts of the city. Police were out in force to try to prevent any protest. Jailed vigil organiser Chow Hang-tung said she would go on a 36-hour hunger strike to remember the events of the day. The British and Canadian consulates posted social media messages about not forgetting June 4. Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997. The American consulate posted a message from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on its website. 'The CCP actively tries to censor the facts,' Mr Rubio said, referring to China's Communist Party. 'But the world will never forget.' Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te used the anniversary to position the island he leads on the frontline of defending democracy against authoritarianism. In a Facebook post, he drew a distinction between Taiwan's multiparty democracy and China's one-party rule. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to remain silent and forget about history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideals of human rights and the dreams they embrace,' Mr Lai wrote. Taiwan transitioned from authoritarianism to democracy in a process that began in the late 1980s. It relies on support principally from the US, along with other democratic partners, to deter China from an invasion. The Communist Party says it favours peaceful reunification but does not renounce the use of force. A commemoration and candlelight vigil remembering June 4 was planned for Wednesday evening.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown passes off quietly
The 36th anniversary of a bloody crackdown that ended pro-democracy protests in China passed like any other weekday. Security was tight on Wednesday around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in 1989. Under then-leader Deng Xiaoping, the military was sent in to end the protest on the night of June 3-4. Using live ammunition, soldiers forced their way through crowds on the streets that tried to block them from reaching the square. Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed, including dozens of soldiers. A plain clothes security person stands on duty near security cameras overlooking Tiananmen Square (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ruling Communist Party has tried, with some success, to erase what it calls the 'political turmoil' of 1989 from the collective memory. It bans any public commemoration or mention of the June 4 crackdown, scrubbing references from the internet. In recent years, that ban has been extended to Hong Kong, where a once-massive annual candlelight vigil is no longer permitted. It is only in Taiwan, the self-governing island that is claimed by China but runs its own affairs, that large June 4 gatherings can still take place. University students occupied Tiananmen Square in the spring of 1989. Their calls for freedoms divided the party leadership. The decision to send in the troops marked a decisive turning point in the evolution of modern China, keeping the party firmly in control as it loosened economic restrictions. Chinese officials have said the country's rapid economic development since then proves the decisions made at the time were correct. 'On the political turmoil that happened in the late 1980s, the Chinese government has already reached a clear conclusion,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday. He added that China would continue along its current path of what it calls 'socialism with Chinese characteristics'. Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by relatives of the victims, made an annual online appeal to the government. Signed by 108 members, it called for an independent investigation into what happened on June 4, 1989, including a list of all who died. The group also demanded compensation for the families and a legal case against those responsible for the deaths. The British and German Embassies in Beijing posted videos commemorating the anniversary on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, but they were later taken down. The Canadian and German Embassies displayed images of a single lit candle on large screens facing the main street. Police officers set up a road block in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong on Wednesday (Chan Long Hei/AP) In Hong Kong, a carnival showcasing Chinese food and products was held in Victoria Park, where tens of thousands of people used to gather in the evening for a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary. Hong Kong authorities first shut down the vigil during the Covid-19 pandemic and arrested the organisers in 2021. The moves were part of a broader crackdown on dissent following monthslong anti-government protests in 2019 that turned violent and paralysed parts of the city. Police were out in force to try to prevent any protest. Jailed vigil organiser Chow Hang-tung said she would go on a 36-hour hunger strike to remember the events of the day. The British and Canadian consulates posted social media messages about not forgetting June 4. Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997. The American consulate posted a message from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on its website. 'The CCP actively tries to censor the facts,' Mr Rubio said, referring to China's Communist Party. 'But the world will never forget.' Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te used the anniversary to position the island he leads on the frontline of defending democracy against authoritarianism. In a Facebook post, he drew a distinction between Taiwan's multiparty democracy and China's one-party rule. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to remain silent and forget about history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideals of human rights and the dreams they embrace,' Mr Lai wrote. Taiwan transitioned from authoritarianism to democracy in a process that began in the late 1980s. It relies on support principally from the US, along with other democratic partners, to deter China from an invasion. The Communist Party says it favours peaceful reunification but does not renounce the use of force. A commemoration and candlelight vigil remembering June 4 was planned for Wednesday evening.
Western Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Anniversary of Tiananmen Square crackdown passes off quietly
Security was tight on Wednesday around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in 1989. Under then-leader Deng Xiaoping, the military was sent in to end the protest on the night of June 3-4. Using live ammunition, soldiers forced their way through crowds on the streets that tried to block them from reaching the square. Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed, including dozens of soldiers. A plain clothes security person stands on duty near security cameras overlooking Tiananmen Square (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ruling Communist Party has tried, with some success, to erase what it calls the 'political turmoil' of 1989 from the collective memory. It bans any public commemoration or mention of the June 4 crackdown, scrubbing references from the internet. In recent years, that ban has been extended to Hong Kong, where a once-massive annual candlelight vigil is no longer permitted. It is only in Taiwan, the self-governing island that is claimed by China but runs its own affairs, that large June 4 gatherings can still take place. University students occupied Tiananmen Square in the spring of 1989. Their calls for freedoms divided the party leadership. The decision to send in the troops marked a decisive turning point in the evolution of modern China, keeping the party firmly in control as it loosened economic restrictions. Chinese officials have said the country's rapid economic development since then proves the decisions made at the time were correct. 'On the political turmoil that happened in the late 1980s, the Chinese government has already reached a clear conclusion,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday. He added that China would continue along its current path of what it calls 'socialism with Chinese characteristics'. Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by relatives of the victims, made an annual online appeal to the government. Signed by 108 members, it called for an independent investigation into what happened on June 4, 1989, including a list of all who died. The group also demanded compensation for the families and a legal case against those responsible for the deaths. The British and German Embassies in Beijing posted videos commemorating the anniversary on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, but they were later taken down. The Canadian and German Embassies displayed images of a single lit candle on large screens facing the main street. Police officers set up a road block in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong on Wednesday (Chan Long Hei/AP) In Hong Kong, a carnival showcasing Chinese food and products was held in Victoria Park, where tens of thousands of people used to gather in the evening for a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary. Hong Kong authorities first shut down the vigil during the Covid-19 pandemic and arrested the organisers in 2021. The moves were part of a broader crackdown on dissent following monthslong anti-government protests in 2019 that turned violent and paralysed parts of the city. Police were out in force to try to prevent any protest. Jailed vigil organiser Chow Hang-tung said she would go on a 36-hour hunger strike to remember the events of the day. The British and Canadian consulates posted social media messages about not forgetting June 4. Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997. The American consulate posted a message from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on its website. 'The CCP actively tries to censor the facts,' Mr Rubio said, referring to China's Communist Party. 'But the world will never forget.' Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te used the anniversary to position the island he leads on the frontline of defending democracy against authoritarianism. In a Facebook post, he drew a distinction between Taiwan's multiparty democracy and China's one-party rule. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to remain silent and forget about history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideals of human rights and the dreams they embrace,' Mr Lai wrote. Taiwan transitioned from authoritarianism to democracy in a process that began in the late 1980s. It relies on support principally from the US, along with other democratic partners, to deter China from an invasion. The Communist Party says it favours peaceful reunification but does not renounce the use of force. A commemoration and candlelight vigil remembering June 4 was planned for Wednesday evening.
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Issues Update on North Korea Military Power
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The latest United States intelligence assessment indicates that nuclear-armed North Korea has strengthened its capabilities to conduct prolonged operations in defense of its territory. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and the North Korean Embassy in China for comment via website contact form and email, respectively. Why It Matters The U.S. and North Korea engaged in the Korean War with their respective allies—South Korea, China and the Soviet Union. Although an armistice was reached to halt hostilities, the Korean Peninsula technically remains in a state of war as no peace treaty was concluded. Soldiers marching in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018. Soldiers marching in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018. Ng Han Guan/AP Photo U.S. forces have remained in South Korea with more than 28,500 military personnel to deter North Korea's provocations and attacks. Meanwhile, North Korea has accused the U.S. and South Korea of rehearsing "preemptive attacks" on the country through joint military drills. The assessment was prepared by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, a support agency of the Pentagon. Last week, it also warned in a separate report that North Korea's nuclear missiles could overwhelm the defense system protecting the U.S. homeland within a decade. What To Know Ankit Panda, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, wrote on social media on Tuesday that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency had revised its assessment of North Korea's capabilities to conduct territorial defense operations. The agency's latest assessment—presented to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations earlier this month—said the North Korean army "almost certainly is capable of mounting a prolonged defense" of the country's territory. Been tracking DIA assessments of North Korea for a while and this jumps out:2025 ATA ( 'almost certainly capable of mounting a prolonged defense' 2021 ( KPA at 0.5x resources for sustaining defensive combat operations. [image or embed] — Ankit Panda (@ May 20, 2025 at 11:24 PM While North Korea is in its "strongest strategic position in decades," capable of threatening American forces and allies in Northeast Asia, its "rapidly aging" conventional forces face what the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency called "resource constraints" in modernization. In its 2021 report on North Korea's military power, the agency assessed that Pyongyang might have sufficient supplies across all categories to sustain defensive operations for "two to three months" rather than the six months required under its doctrinal planning. North Korea would seek to "maximize its defensive advantages"—including inhospitable terrain and widespread use of underground facilities—to increase the cost of seizing and holding its territory should deterrence against U.S. military intervention fail, the report said. The reasons behind the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's revision of its assessment of North Korea's defensive capabilities remain unclear. The latest assessment also said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "increasingly confident" in the security of his regime. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on May 9 for celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on May 9 for celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP Last month, U.S. and South Korean special operations forces conducted a training exercise to enhance their "rapid infiltration capabilities," which are considered essential for executing "decapitation" missions against North Korea's leadership in the event of renewed hostilities. What People Are Saying Ankit Panda, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on Bluesky: "There seems to have been a meaningful shift in North Korea's conventional readiness for territorial defense. Not inconsistent with what we've seen in open sources (including [North Korean] state media)." The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in its 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment report: "North Korea remains one of the most militarized nations in the world with more than 1 million active duty personnel and more than 7 million reserve and paramilitary personnel." What Happens Next While North Korea continues to enhance its defensive capabilities, it is also advancing its military posture to threaten the U.S. homeland, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said.
