Latest news with #TiananmenMassacre
Japan Forward
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Election Success for Chinese-born Critic of Japan's China Policy
このページを 日本語 で読む In Japan's House of Councillors election on July 20, it was confirmed the following day that Seki Hei, a 63-year-old political commentator and first-time candidate, had secured a seat. He ran under the proportional representation system as a candidate for Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party). Seki Hei is also a JAPAN Forward contributor with his own column, China Watch. Born in China, Seki faced a barrage of abuse over his candidacy. But throughout the campaign, he stood firm, declaring he would not "succumb to slander." Seki was born in 1962 in Sichuan Province. He became disillusioned with the Chinese government following the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and later cut ties with China mentally and ideologically. In 2007, he became a naturalized Japanese citizen. People march through central London on June 4, 2023, to mourn the victims of the Tiananmen Massacre in China 34 years earlier. (© Kyodo) During the campaign, Seki called for constitutional reform, a tougher stance on China, stricter naturalization laws, and stronger measures to curb mass immigration. All of this, he said, was "to protect Japan." He initially announced his candidacy with Ishin in February 2025 but withdrew after facing a wave of slander and personal attacks. However, he later reversed course, saying, "I realized I must not give in to slander," and decided to run after all. When Seki re-declared his candidacy in June, he pointed to Japan's China policy, especially under the leadership of Shigeru Ishiba, as a major concern. "Japanese politics isn't responding," he said. "It's unbearable to watch. I felt I had no choice but to step up." As for why he chose to run with Ishin, Sekii explained that the party's platform matched his own views. He added that Osaka Governor and Ishin leader Hirofumi Yoshimura shared his concerns about China's growing hegemonic threat to Japan. Author: The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Forward
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Protests Persist vs Oppressive Hong Kong Security Law
このページを 日本語 で読む At 11:00 PM on June 30, 2020, the Hong Kong National Security Law went into force. This year marks the fifth anniversary of that infamous day. The Chinese government under Xi Jinping contends that the national security law has brought "stability" and "prosperity" to Hong Kong. Accordingly, it has ordered the Hong Kong government to further tighten restrictions on Hong Kong people. China guaranteed the special administrative region a high degree of autonomy after Hong Kong's reversion from the United Kingdom in 1997. Yet, authoritarian China and the Hong Kong officials who do its bidding have turned their backs on the "one country, two systems" promise Chinese leaders made at that time. It is more important than ever that the international community maintain its interest and step up pressure on the Hong Kong government to support its citizens. The Chinese government's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office is responsible for policy toward both cities. Xia Baolong is its director. He presented the government's justification for the crackdown on pro-democracy forces at a forum marking the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the national security law. Its implementation, he said, had "dealt a powerful blow to anti-China destabilizing forces." He was referring to those who oppose China and "cause chaos" in Hong Kong. Xia also strongly defended the law, claiming it has served to maintain "long-term prosperity and stability" in the city. It is no joke. Citizens of Hong Kong have been deprived of freedom of speech and assembly for the past five years under the "national security governance" of Hong Kong (guoan zhigang ). In this system, national security takes priority over all other considerations. The law is characterized by its vague red lines that Beijing defines and forbids to be crossed. It has forced citizens to self-censor, casting a pall of silence over local society. The "prosperity" and "stability" touted by Xia and local officials are empty words. Hong Kong and Chinese flags fly together on a street corner in Hong Kong in October, 2024. (©Kyodo) Hong Kong watched as the democracy movement within China was violently suppressed during the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. Following that, a massive candlelight vigil was held in Victoria Park (Causeway Bay district) every year on June 4 to commemorate the victims. Thereafter, the rallies continued for more than 30 years. They also functioned as an important opportunity for civic education for Hong Kong citizens. However, since the implementation of the local national security law, police have prevented the commemorative gatherings from taking place. Nonetheless, there have still been many unforgettable scenes. Hong Kongers continued to mourn on this fifth anniversary. They have brought flower bouquets to heavily policed parks, prayed on benches while holding electronic candles, and read the Bible in public. At the same time, individuals who engage in such activities are well aware that they risk arrest for their silent acts of dissent. The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities would do well to learn that the fire of individual conscience lit by citizens cannot be easily extinguished. Over the last five years, the authorities have intensified their efforts to indoctrinate the people of Hong Kong through "patriotic education." Just as elsewhere in Mainland China, anti-Japan events are planned in Hong Kong on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the "war of resistance against Japan." This, too, should not be ignored. Even if this is meant to be just one part of Chinese-style patriotic education, such anti-Japan education is absolutely unacceptable. The Japanese government should take the situation seriously and protest to the Hong Kong government. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Forward
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
China's Apology for Tiananmen Massacre Still Matters 36 Years On
June 4 marked the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. On that day, the Chinese communist regime used its military forces to suppress students and other supporters of the democracy movement gathered peacefully in Tiananmen Square. Numerous deaths and injuries took place in that public space that marked the heart of Beijing. China's communist government has characterized the protests as a "counter-revolutionary uprising." And it has tried to repress the very memory of the bloodbath by suppressing freedom of speech among the Chinese people. The website of Tiananmen Mothers, a group made up of members of families of the victims, once again in 2025, has called for the truth to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable. It calls the event "the most horrific massacre in the world, perpetrated by the government and politicians of the time." Memorial rallies continue to be held annually worldwide. However, they have remained effectively banned in Hong Kong since the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect in 2020. Older family members of the victims are dying off one by one, and it's sad to contemplate their profound despair. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has an inbred compulsion to violate human rights and hide the truth. We cannot condone that. Xi Jinping's administration must make the facts about the Tiananmen Massacre public and apologize to the victims and their families. The Xi administration is now attacking the "America First" ideology of the Donald Trump administration. Specifically, Beijing is pointing to US tariff policies while claiming to act as a defender of the global order and "uphold international fairness and justice." The hypocrisy of the Xi administration's stance is staggering. In the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet, and Hong Kong, the Xi administration has thoroughly suppressed human rights. China's coercive actions have also intensified in the East and South China Seas. Beijing is aiming to change the status quo by force in those regions to gain maritime dominance and annex Taiwan. In Taipei, Taiwan, the lights at a memorial rally are the shape of "8964" (1989 June 4), the date of the massacre. (©Sankei by Yoshiaki Nishimi) This anniversary of the June 4 tragedy should serve as a reminder to the world that the CCP's inhumane and authoritarian nature remains unchanged from 36 years ago. Especially worrisome is the conciliatory stance that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet seems inclined to pursue toward China. From appearances, the governments of Japan and China are of one mind in wanting to promote a mutually beneficial strategic relationship. But aren't our leaders being taken in by Beijing's current smile diplomacy? Predictably, Beijing is making overtures towards Tokyo designed to gain China's advantage in its confrontation with the United States. However, a look beyond the capital reveals another truth. Recently, a helicopter took off from a China Coast Guard vessel, violating Japanese airspace around the Senkaku Islands (Ishigaki City). But the Ishiba administration's response was hesitant. As well, we must not forget the blunder made by the Japanese Cabinet in office at the time of the Tiananmen Massacre. That Cabinet parted from other democracies and opposed joint international sanctions after the incident. Tokyo instead argued that it would be inappropriate to force China into international isolation. Since then, China has used its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as leverage to dominate the global market and build up a mammoth military. Japan also bears some responsibility for that. The Ishiba administration should once again call on China to reveal the truth about what really happened in Tiananmen Square. As things stand, it is out of the question for Xi to visit Japan as a state guest. (Read the editorial in Japanese .) Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: File on Xu Qinxian's refusal at Tiananmen remains open
When I come across information in a newspaper or on the internet about a subject that piques my journalistic curiosity, I save it and file it away in the hopes of doing a story later. As this has been my habit for quite a while, my files just keep growing, and I need to keep them under control by tidying them up from time to time. However, there inevitably are materials that make me pause the task and think. One example is my dossier on Xu Qinxian (1935-2021). According to what is written on a piece of paper in my hand, Xu was born into a poor family in China's Hubei province. He volunteered for the army at age 15 and saw combat during the Korean War. Xu was said to be a quiet soldier who enjoyed reading, but must have also excelled professionally. After a series of promotions, he eventually rose to the rank of major general in the People's Liberation Army. He became known to the world during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. As the leader of the elite 38th Group Army in charge of defending the Chinese capital, Xu was ordered to advance to Beijing. But he defied the order, refusing to suppress pro-democracy students with armed force. This was a rare case of insubordination by a high-ranking officer. Xu was arrested and sent to prison. He was not heard of at all until 2011, when a scoop by the now-defunct Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily brought Xu's presence back to the world. Asked about his past, Xu told his interviewer simply, 'It's all in the past. I have no regrets.' I wonder what was going on within the military at the time of Xu's insubordination. How was the decision made to use armed force against unarmed students? What effects did the political strife among the leadership have on the situation? I requested an interview with Xu through an acquaintance of mine. But I never received a reply. Xu died four years ago at age 85. June 4 marked the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, but even this fact cannot be mentioned in China today. Many questions remain unanswered. And I am still unable to discard my Xu file. —The Asahi Shimbun, June 5 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
We will never forget Tiananmen crackdown, Taiwan and US say on 36th anniversary
By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) -The world will never forget China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, Taiwan's president and the top U.S. diplomat said on the 36th anniversary of an event Beijing treats as taboo and allows no public remembrance. The events on and around the central Beijing square on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end the student-led pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in China and the anniversary is not officially marked. Public commemorations take place in overseas cities including Taipei where senior Taiwan government leaders often use the anniversary to criticise China and urge it to face up to what it did. Lai, in a post on Facebook on Wednesday, praised the courage of those who took part in the protests, saying human rights are a concept shared by Taiwan and other democracies that transcend generations and borders. "The commemoration of the June 4 Tiananmen incident is not only to mourn history, but also to perpetuate this memory," said Lai, who Beijing detests as a "separatist" and has rejected his repeated offers of talks. "Authoritarian governments often choose to silence and forget history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who gave their lives - and their dreams - to the idea of human rights," he added. "Not only do we refuse to forget history, we will implement our core values every day." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday praised the courage of the Chinese people who were killed in the bloody crackdown. "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 in a statement. "The CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget," he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SECURITY TIGHT IN HONG KONG Before dawn on June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers. China has never provided a full death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands. China blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party. The Tiananmen Mothers, which represents relatives of those killed, put out this week their annual statement calling for a public accounting of what happened. "The executioners of that year have passed away one after another, but as the continuation of the ruling party, the current government has a responsibility to respond to and address the Tiananmen Massacre," Zhang Xianling, whose son Wang Nan was killed, said in a video message. In Hong Kong, where thousands used to gather to mark the anniversary before China's imposition of a national security law in 2020, security was tight around Victoria Park, the site of the previous mass candlelight vigils. Hong Kong's leader John Lee said on Tuesday police would take stringent enforcement actions against any acts endangering national security. A performance artist was forced to leave the vicinity of the park and a shop selling small white candles was raided by customs officials on Tuesday. One jailed pro-democracy activist, Chow Hang-tung, is staging a 36 hour hunger strike in prison to mark the anniversary.
