Congressional-Executive Commission on Ch

China in 1989 and 2015 Congressional-Executive Commission on Ch

Twenty-six years ago, the world watched as millions of Chinese gathered to peacefully demand political reform and democratic openness. The hopes and promises of those heady days ended with wanton violence, tears, bloodshed, arrests, and exile. Mothers lost sons, fathers lost daughters, and China lost an idealistic generation to the tanks that rolled down Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. Tiananmen Square has come to symbolize the persistent and brutal lengths the Chinese Communist Party will go to remain in power. This event has done more to negatively shape global perceptions of China than any other in recent history. We remember the Tiananmen Square massacre here in Congress because of its enduring impact on U. S.-China relations. We remember it also because an unknown number of people died, were arrested, and exiled simply for seeking universally recognized human rights and freedoms. We also remember Tiananmen Square because so many people were arrested last year for trying to commemorate the anniversary in China. We remember this date each year because it is too important to forget and because it is too dangerous to commemorate in the People's Republic of China.