Beijing accused Marco Rubio of launching an “attack” on China after he vowed the world would “never forget” the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The bloody crackdown on June 4, 1989, saw Chinese troops open fire on peaceful protesters who had called for democratic reforms during demonstrations in the square in the heart of the Chinese capital. On the eve of the 36th anniversary of the incident, Secretary of State Rubio shared a public message attacking the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
“The CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget,” Rubio said in a statement shared by the State Department. “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.”
“We remember the Chinese Communist Party’s brutal crackdown 36 years ago in Tiananmen Square and commemorate the courage of the innocent people killed and imprisoned that day,” Rubio wrote in a separate tweet. “Freedom, democracy, and self-rule are human principles the CCP cannot erase.”
On Wednesday, Beijing accused Rubio of launching an “attack” on China and stated that it had lodged a complaint with the United States.
“The wrongful U.S. statement is a deliberate distortion of history and facts and an ill-motivated attack on China’s political system and development path,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing.
The spat comes at a time of high tension between the world’s two largest economies.
Relations between the U.S. and China have strained after President Trump launched his “Liberation Day” tariffs, which included steep levies on Chinese imports. Trade talks, which are expected to restart, have continued to stall after a 90-day tariff truce was reached in May.
Early Wednesday, Trump publicly complained about the difficulties he’s having with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The two leaders are due to speak by phone soon, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying it could happen as soon as this week.
