Remembering Tiananmen Square: Understanding China and Re-evaluating U.S. Policy

Over three decades since the Tiananmen Square massacre, experts argue that the U.S. policy towards China has been marred by a fundamental misunderstanding of Beijing's intentions. As China's influence grows, experts urge a re-examination of engagement policies and a focus on America's interests instead of maintaining close ties with a repressive regime.

Thirty-five years after the bloody crackdown in Tiananmen Square, the anniversary brings renewed scrutiny to China's treatment of dissent and the state of U.S.-China relations. Experts argue that the legacy of Tiananmen Square continues to shape China's domestic policies and international relations, while the U.S. has struggled to find an effective approach.

Gordon Chang, a Gatestone Institute senior fellow and China expert, argues that the George H.W. Bush administration's attempt to reestablish friendly relations with China after the massacre was a grave mistake. "That was a grave mistake for a number of reasons, but we have seen the engagement policy since then, and only during the Trump administration has the United States had a different, and, I would think, better approach," Chang said.

Chang believes that Trump put America's interests first instead of prioritizing the interests of the communist regime, but that the current administration has reverted to the pre-Trump China policy, which is not working. "It's not working for the United States, and it's not working for the free world," he added.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., echoed this sentiment, stating that the continuation of pouring American dollars into China has backfired. "China has not become more democratic," Waltz said. "Rather, U.S. engagement has literally funded a more capable, more repressive adversary that seeks to defeat the West."

Matt McInnis, senior fellow for the Institute for the Study of War, explains that China's domestic and foreign policies have reshaped global norms, providing Beijing with a boost in its pursuit of geopolitical dominance. "That has been a difficult process for American foreign policy leaders and policymakers because it changes many of the paradigms that we had developed after the Cold War and despite the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989."

James Anderson, the deputy undersecretary of defense during the Trump administration, highlights the shock and outrage felt by Americans after the massacre, but laments that much of that impact seems to have been forgotten. He attributes this to the "constructive engagement" policy of the Clinton administration and its successors, despite the Tiananmen Square tragedy.

Anderson argues that the three assumptions underlying the constructive engagement policy – that engagement would lead to economic growth, political liberalization, and greater openness – have proven to be faulty. "China has continued to grow economically, but its reform efforts have stalled," he said.

The Tiananmen Square massacre serves as a reminder of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brutal suppression of dissent. As China's influence grows and its human rights violations continue, experts urge a re-evaluation of U.S. policy. They argue for a focus on protecting American interests, confronting China's aggression, and holding it accountable for its human rights abuses.