On the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, both Taiwan’s president and the top U.S. diplomat reaffirmed that the world will not forget the brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests in China — an event that remains a politically sensitive and heavily censored topic within the country. On June 4, 1989, Chinese troops forcefully ended student-led demonstrations in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square by opening fire, killing an unknown number of civilians. While the Chinese government continues to suppress public discussion of the incident and refuses to officially acknowledge the anniversary, global commemorations — including those in Taipei — serve as reminders of the tragedy.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took to Facebook on Wednesday to honor the bravery of the demonstrators, saying the values of human rights unite Taiwan with other democratic nations and transcend time and borders. He emphasized that remembering June 4 is not just about mourning, but about preserving historical truth. Lai criticized authoritarian regimes for silencing the past, contrasting them with democratic societies that insist on remembering those who died for freedom. He vowed to uphold these democratic principles daily.

In the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement praising the courage of the Chinese people who lost their lives in the crackdown. He also recognized those still facing oppression for seeking truth and justice. Rubio condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to suppress the facts, stating that the international community will never forget what happened. China's foreign ministry did not immediately comment.

Tight Security in Hong Kong and Beijing: In mainland China, the anniversary passed without public mention. Security was intensified in and around Tiananmen Square, with increased police presence and checkpoints checking IDs and preventing photography. On Chinese social media, references to the event remained scrubbed by censors.

The Tiananmen Mothers — a group representing victims' families — issued their yearly appeal for official recognition of the massacre. Zhang Xianling, whose son Wang Nan was killed, said in a video message that even though some responsible officials have died, the current leadership still bears responsibility for addressing the event.

In Hong Kong, where mass candlelight vigils once marked the day, the atmosphere has changed drastically since the national security law was imposed in 2020. Police maintained strict surveillance around Victoria Park. Authorities took action against public displays, forcing a performance artist to leave the area and raiding a store selling small white candles. Meanwhile, jailed activist Chow Hang-tung began a 36-hour hunger strike to commemorate the anniversary.