Judging Tiananmen Incident

The Tiananmen Incident on June 4th, 1989, is definitely a significant historical event. We don’t need to know every detail, and have no need to search for more “secret” or “hidden” or “covered” details, as all those searches are hearsay that cannot pass the standard beyond a reasonable doubt.

We can always judge a historical event by the event’s outcome, leaving details in the black box, just as we can test a car by driving it without knowing the details of how the engine burns the gas to propel the wheels. The CPC government dominated the event eventually. As a result, whatever the outcome is, the responsibility of the CPC.

Is China better off after the Tiananmen Incident? Since 1989, the world has changed a lot. The Cold War ended. World structure reorganized. In such a big change, is the position of China better or worse? Is the life of the people of China better or worse? The whole world changed for the better; however, China gets better faster than other countries. The international position of China has become stronger and stronger since the Tiananmen Incident.

One may argue that China's rise has nothing to do with the Tiananmen Incident. That will diminish the event as not important. If that’s the case, let us forget it and don’t mention it every year.

One may argue that if the student in the square overthrew the government, China may rise faster, and Chinese people can have a better living standard and better human rights conditions. But a series of color revolutions in the world showed the opposite.

Regardless, the CPC has nothing to be proud of in that event. It was an event not planned by the CPC. The CPC never expected such an event. The handling of the event was terrible. CPC had never prepared for such events since 1949. It was the first time the CPC had crashed with its people since 1921. The CPC simply does not want to mention it. It strove for the best outcome among all the worst nightmares.

UN strives to eliminate poverty in the world, and China made the biggest contribution. That is called the worst human rights record of China by the West. West said that China should be weak so that its people can have human rights. Chinese people know that when China was weak, Chinese people did not have human rights. That is the lesson the Chinese learned from the Hundred Years' Humiliation.

The West thinks otherwise. They believe the incident created a bad outcome. Yes. China rising is good for Chinese people and bad for those who cannot stand the Chinese people having a decent life.

We judge a historical event by its outcome, not by “really know.” Chinese people support the CPC without the need to “really know about the event.” Just like we buy a car without really understanding the car’s mechanics and electronics, just like we enjoy a meal without knowing how the chef cooks it and how the foods are digested in our body. The outcome is good. That’s it.

Chinese people feel lucky that they have Deng rather than Gorbachev.