- President Lai Ching-te marked the 36th anniversary with a call to uphold democracy.
- Taiwan leaders contrasted China’s censorship with Taiwan’s historical transparency.
- Lai and Cho emphasized Taiwan’s responsibility to defend human rights and freedom.
On the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, Taiwan‘s President Lai Ching-te used the moment to highlight the critical importance of preserving historical memory and protecting democratic values.
Premier Cho Jung-tai reflected on Taiwan’s journey from martial law to democracy during the same year China veered into repression.
Taiwan Stands Tall on Tiananmen Anniversary, Reasserts Democratic Values
President Lai Ching-te commemorated June 4 by urging the global community to remain vigilant against rising authoritarianism. His remarks placed Taiwan as a frontline defender of democracy in Asia, highlighting shared values with like-minded democratic nations.
Drawing parallels with Taiwan’s own past, Lai mentioned the White Terror era as a painful but important lesson in the value of confronting history. Unlike Beijing’s silence on Tiananmen, Taiwan’s experience with transitional justice has become a cornerstone of its democratic identity.
Premier Cho Jung-tai spoke from personal experience, having entered public office in 1989. He contrasted Taiwan’s democratic emergence with China’s crackdown, noting how Taiwan chose openness, while China chose control.
Both leaders emphasized that defending truth and human rights is not just a national duty but a regional and global imperative. Their joint statements sent a clear message that Taiwan will continue to speak up where others are silenced.
Taiwan’s remembrance of June 4 stands as a powerful symbol of its commitment to truth, justice, and democratic integrity—values it vows to uphold against rising authoritarianism.
“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” — Milan Kundera
