Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Xi Defends 1989 Tiananmen Crackdown; Tank Man Mystery Lives On
A long time ago, in 1989, many students in a big city called Beijing gathered together in a famous square to ask their leaders for changes in how the country was run.
The government sent soldiers and tanks to make the crowds go away, and many people got hurt.
The day after, a regular man with shopping bags stood in front of a row of tanks and wouldn't let them pass.
People all over the world took pictures and videos of him, and he became known as the Tank Man.
Nobody knows who he was or what happened to him.
Some people think he was arrested, some think he got away, and others think he lived quietly, but no one knows for sure.
Recently, the leader of China, President Xi Jinping, said the government was right to do what it did back then.
His words made people remember the Tank Man again.
The government in China does not talk about this event, and the famous picture is hidden there.
The mystery of the Tank Man is still unsolved almost forty years later.
President Xi Jinping described the Communist Party's response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests as "correct" in a speech marking Jiang Zemin's 100th birth anniversary.
The speech drew renewed attention to the unsolved mystery of the Tank Man, an unidentified man who confronted a column of PLA tanks on Chang'an Avenue on 5 June 1989.
The Tank Man's identity and fate remain unknown, with unconfirmed claims of arrest, execution, escape, or quiet survival; Jiang Zemin once said the man was "never killed" and "never arrested".
The protests began in April 1989 after the death of reformist leader Hu Yaobang, with students demanding political reform, more free speech, and an end to corruption.
Chinese authorities put the death toll at around 200 to 300, while other estimates range from hundreds to several thousand; the Chinese government does not publicly discuss the events.
- Who
- Chinese President Xi Jinping; former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin; the unidentified "Tank Man" and the students and citizens who protested in 1989.
- What
- Xi Jinping described the Communist Party's response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests as "correct", drawing renewed attention to the unsolved mystery of the Tank Man.
- When
- Xi spoke on Monday, 17 August; the protests began in April 1989; the army crackdown occurred on the night of 3–4 June 1989; the Tank Man confronted the tanks on 5 June 1989.
- Where
- Beijing, China, around Tiananmen Square and Chang'an Avenue.
- Why
- Xi praised Jiang Zemin's role in maintaining stability in 1989 and urged an "indomitable fighting spirit" to defend China's sovereignty and security amid economic, demographic, and geopolitical challenges.
Party's Official Position
International and Critical View
Assessment of the 1989 Crackdown
Party's Official Position
The response was "correct" and necessary to protect political stability and China's socialist system.
International and Critical View
Military force was used to violently suppress a pro-democracy and pro-reform movement, killing, injuring, and arresting many people.
Death Toll
Party's Official Position
Chinese authorities put the number of dead at around 200 to 300, including civilians and security personnel.
International and Critical View
Other estimates range from hundreds to several thousand deaths, and exact numbers remain disputed.
Openness About the Events
Party's Official Position
The Chinese government does not publicly discuss the Tank Man or the 1989 events, and the famous image is heavily censored inside China.
International and Critical View
Many around the world view the Tank Man as the defining image of the protests and still seek answers about his identity and fate.
- Xi Jinping speech
- Monday, 17 August, marking the 100th birth anniversary of Jiang Zemin
- Protests began
- April 1989, after the death of reformist leader Hu Yaobang
- Crackdown
- Night of 3–4 June 1989; PLA used live ammunition, tanks and military force
- Tank Man incident
- 5 June 1989, Chang'an Avenue near Tiananmen Square, Beijing
- Official death toll
- Around 200 to 300, including civilians and security personnel (Chinese authorities)
- Other death estimates
- Hundreds to several thousand (disputed)
- Jiang Zemin on Tank Man
- Believed he was "never killed" and "never arrested"; whereabouts unknown
- Official stance
- Crackdown called "correct" and necessary for political stability and the socialist system