China handled Tiananmen protests well, says minister

THE Chinese defence minister said yesterday that the deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square 30 years ago was “correct” and that it had ensured years of stability.

Wei Fenghe was responding to questions posed by The Daily Telegraph at an annual security summit in Singapore. It is extremely rare for Chinese officials to acknowledge the June 4 1989 protests, which ended when soldiers opened fire on thousands.

Even three decades later, the crackdown remains one of the most sensitive topics in China, and is subject to extensive government efforts to erase it from history.

“Everybody is concerned about Tiananmen after 30 years,” Mr Wei said yesterday at the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue. “China under the Communist Party has experienced many changes in those 30 years – how can we say that China did not handle the Tiananmen incident well? There was a conclusion to the incident. The central government took measures to stop that political turbulence.

“Due to that, China has enjoyed stability and development. If you visit China, you can better understand that part of history.”

In the weeks leading up to the 30th anniversary tomorrow, Chinese authorities have launched “pre-emptive strikes” by detaining, interrogating, and placing under house arrest former protest leaders and their relatives, according to the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a coalition of human rights groups.

Mr Wei also defended China’s policies in Xinjiang, where US officials estimate three million Uighur Muslims are being held in internment camps.