China rebukes US on Tiananmen statement

A massive student-led political protest in Beijing in 1989 triggered a brutal crackdown by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Beijing has never said how many people died at Tiananmen Square; estimates range from the hundreds to thousands.

China on Tuesday slammed US secretary of state Mike Pompeo for his “lunatic ravings and babbling nonsense” after he criticised Beijing’s human rights record and asked the leadership to reveal the number of people who died in the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989.

June 4, 1989, file photo of residents gathering near the smoking remains of over 20 armoured personnel carriers burnt by demonstrators during clashes with soldiers near Tiananmen Square in Beijing. (AFP Photo)

Pompeo released the statement on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the crackdown, triggering sharp reactions from Beijing.

The foreign ministry said Pompeo’s statement “maliciously attacks China’s political system, denigrates the state of China’s human rights and religious affairs, wantonly criticises China’s Xinjiang policy and severely interferes in China’s domestic affairs”.

“These lunatic ravings and babbling nonsense will only end up in the trash can of history,” foreign ministry spokesperson, Geng Shuang said at the regular ministry briefing on Tuesday.

In Washington, a spokesperson at Chinese embassy said in a statement that Pompeo had used “the pretext of human rights” for a statement that “grossly intervenes in China’s internal affairs, attacks its system, and smears its domestic and foreign policies”.

A massive student-led political protest in Beijing in 1989 triggered a brutal crackdown by the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Beijing has never said how many people died at Tiananmen Square; estimates range from the hundreds to thousands.

Meanwhile, China’s education ministry on Monday “…warned students and scholars of the risks of going to study in the United States citing US visa restrictions, urging them to step up risk assessment and make corresponding preparations,” state media reported.

“The alert states that the visa applications of some Chinese hoping to study in the US have recently been restricted, with an extended review process, shortened validity period, and an increased rejection rate, which have affected their plans to study in the United States or the completion of their studies there,” official news agency, Xinhua reported.

“These actions have hurt the dignity of Chinese students in the United States, and also seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people,” said Xu Yongji, an official with the ministry.

The report added that “…previous week has witnessed China take prompt actions defending its rights and interests. The new mechanism of unreliable entities list to protect Chinese national and corporate interests was unveiled, additional tariffs on a list of imported US products went into effect, and FedEx landed in the crosshairs of an official investigation.”