Taiwan says China covering up Tiananmen crackdown

Chinese troops opened fire on student protestors calling for more democracy and freedom in Beijing during the bloody crackdown 30 years ago. Human rights groups have estimated the death toll as between several hundred and several thousand. Public commemoration of the massacre is illegal and China is yet to publicly release any full death toll.

“The Chinese government not only did not plan to repent for the past mistake, but it also continued to cover up the truth,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said in a Facebook post.

“Please be reassured - Taiwan will definitely defend democracy and freedom. Regardless of threats and infiltration, as long as I’m the president, Taiwan will not bow to pressure,” she said.

The post, which was accompanied by a cartoon of Tsai holding a candle, also expressed concern for China’s “erosion of freedom” in Hong Kong, a former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula.

Democratic Taiwan tends to use the Tiananmen Square anniversary to criticise China and call for it to face up to its actions. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its sacred territory, to be taken back by force if necessary.

Tsai’s comments came ahead of large candlelight vigils in the region, including in Taipei and Hong Kong.

The Taiwanese leader's intervention comes following increasing tension between China and Taiwan, with the former’s President Xi Jinping threatening to use force to bring about reunification.

Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China (ROC) and it was founded after nationalist forces fled the mainland after the Chinese Civil War.

Both sides claimed to be the legitimate government of China and the ROC represented China on the United Nations until 1971.

Now, Taiwanese politics is split into two loose camps, one backing unification though generally under less strong political and economic links with the Mainland and one backing independence.

Tsai’s party is part of the independence camp, though she herself has said Taiwan’s de facto independence means a formal declaration, which would likely cross a line for China, is not needed.