China accused the United States on Thursday of smearing its political system after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said censorship could not ‘erase’ the memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Rubio stated, “no amount of censorship can erase the past,” referring to the violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Beijing. The Chinese government has officially labeled the events a ‘counter-revolutionary riot,’ with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning dismissing Rubio's comments as an interference in China's internal affairs.
In Hong Kong, police maintained a heavy presence near Victoria Park, the traditional site of a now-banned annual vigil. Seven people were briefly detained. Activists like Chan Po-Ying were stopped for carrying symbols of protest, underscoring the tightened security under the 2020 national security law.
Authorities have also restricted families from visiting the graves of those killed, drawing criticism from human rights groups.