What impact have events in Tiananmen Square had on China’s relations with the world?
Of course, in the immediate aftermath public opinion in the wealthier countries was shocked, and the G7 governments imposed sanctions on China. In the rest of the world, however, less attention was paid and Third World governments and those of the then socialist camp not only did not impose sanctions but regarded the actions of the Chinese government as appropriate. As time went by and China resumed rapid economic growth, the memories of Tiananmen in the West faded. Business communities and governments placed emphasis on maintaining good relations with the Chinese regime. However, I think TAM did leave a permanent mark on the regime’s image. It remains a vulnerability for this regime that it is the successor of the regime that cracked down with military force in 1989, killing a still-not-accurately-known number of its own citizens. The regime has made no accounting of the dead and wounded, has not allowed independent discussion of the event, and shows by its sensitivity to any discussi
