<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-japan-to-forge-closer-ties-at-historic-turning-point-173569">Japan and China</a> signed $2.6 billion in business deals and touted their warmer ties on Friday during a rare visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as both face trade challenges from US President Donald Trump.

Premier Li Keqiang greeted Abe as Japan's flag flew outside the opulent Great Hall of the People across from Tiananmen Square, and they reviewed an honour guard before going inside for talks.

Relations between Asia's two biggest economies have improved in recent years after they sunk to new lows in 2012 when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing.

Addressing a joint press conference, Abe said that the two leaders had agreed to "play a constructive role for the sake of this region's peace and prosperity".

"I believe active trade will deepen ties between Japanese and Chinese peoples further," he said.

"Now, international conditions are unstable, and uncertainties have increased," Li said, adding that the countries' economic cooperation would "benefit the development of global free trade".

The relationship has rapidly warmed up as Trump has slapped massive tariffs on China while also targeting Japanese exports in his effort to cut US trade deficits, despite touting his personal bonds with Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But behind the feel-good vibes, Abe also delivered a sterner messages, a Japanese spokesman said, warning China that "without stability in the East China Sea, there will not be a true improvement in the relationship."

He also told Li that "the international community, including Japan, is watching carefully the human rights situation in China".

Abe also met with Xi and details of their talks were expected later in the evening.

Trump 'uncertainty'

Abe travelled with nearly 1,000 delegates from Japanese companies who struck 500 deals worth a total of $2.6 billion, Li said, without providing details.

The companies are eager for increased access to China's massive market, while Beijing is interested in Japanese technology and corporate know-how.

The two leaders also oversaw the signing of several political agreements, including a currency swap deal and a mechanism to avoid accidental clashes between their militaries which often come in contact in the disputed East China Sea.

Hu Lingyuan, director of the Center for Japanese Studies at China's Fudan University, said Trump's trade policy had contributed to closer Sino-Japanese ties.

"The uncertainty in Trump policy made Abe feel that he could not bet only on the United States," Hu told AFP.&nbsp;

"If he adjusts his relationship with China, he will have more initiative and space in the future when he is negotiating with the United States."

China's nationalistic Global Times said in an editorial that "though the US is quite an influential factor in China-Japan ties, the effect is limited".

"If Beijing and Tokyo intend to plan their future bilateral relationship based on Washington's attitude, they will only get lost," the state-run daily said.

'Safeguard free trade'

The last official visit to Beijing by a Japanese prime minister was in 2011.

Since an awkward 2014 encounter between Abe and Xi on the sidelines of a summit, there have been ministerial visits by both sides and a softening of rhetoric. Li visited Tokyo in May.

Abe's three-day trip, which began Thursday, sets up the possibility that Xi will visit Japan next year.

Abe and Li already met on Thursday during a reception to celebrate the signing of the treaty that put Japanese and Chinese relations back on track after World War II.

But territorial disputes continue to cause frictions.

Just days before Abe's trip, Tokyo lodged an official complaint after Chinese ships cruised around the disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands.

China has long denounced Japan for what it says is an insufficiently contrite attitude towards its role in World War II.

But ahead of the trip, Beijing has taken a more cordial stance than it has in the past.

Japanese media have reported Abe is hoping the visit will produce a soft power win in the form of some panda diplomacy, with zoos in Sendai and Kobe apparently angling for new additions.

Japan and China signed $2.6 billion in business deals and touted their warmer ties on Friday during a rare visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as both face trade challenges from US President Donald Trump.

Japan and China signed $2.6 billion in business deals and touted their warmer ties on Friday during a rare visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as both face trade challenges from US President Donald Trump. Premier Li Keqiang greeted Abe as Japan's flag flew outside the opulent Great Hall of the People across from Tiananmen Square, and they reviewed an honour guard before going inside for talks. Relations between Asia's two biggest economies have improved in recent years after they sunk to new lows in 2012 when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing. Addressing a joint press conference, Abe said that the two leaders had agreed to "play a constructive role for the sake of this region's peace and prosperity". "I believe active trade will deepen ties between Japanese and Chinese peoples further," he said. "Now, international conditions are unstable, and uncertainties have increased," Li said, adding that the countries' economic cooperation would "benefit the development of global free trade". The relationship has rapidly warmed up as Trump has slapped massive tariffs on China while also targeting Japanese exports in his effort to cut US trade deficits, despite touting his personal bonds with Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping. But behind the feel-good vibes, Abe also delivered a sterner messages, a Japanese spokesman said, warning China that "without stability in the East China Sea, there will not be a true improvement in the relationship." He also told Li that "the international community, including Japan, is watching carefully the human rights situation in China". Abe also met with Xi and details of their talks were expected later in the evening. Trump 'uncertainty' Abe travelled with nearly 1,000 delegates from Japanese companies who struck 500 deals worth a total of $2.6 billion, Li said, without providing details. The companies are eager for increased access to China's massive market, while Beijing is interested in Japanese technology and corporate know-how. The two leaders also oversaw the signing of several political agreements, including a currency swap deal and a mechanism to avoid accidental clashes between their militaries which often come in contact in the disputed East China Sea. Hu Lingyuan, director of the Center for Japanese Studies at China's Fudan University, said Trump's trade policy had contributed to closer Sino-Japanese ties. "The uncertainty in Trump policy made Abe feel that he could not bet only on the United States," Hu told AFP. "If he adjusts his relationship with China, he will have more initiative and space in the future when he is negotiating with the United States." China's nationalistic Global Times said in an editorial that "though the US is quite an influential factor in China-Japan ties, the effect is limited". "If Beijing and Tokyo intend to plan their future bilateral relationship based on Washington's attitude, they will only get lost," the state-run daily said. 'Safeguard free trade' The last official visit to Beijing by a Japanese prime minister was in 2011. Since an awkward 2014 encounter between Abe and Xi on the sidelines of a summit, there have been ministerial visits by both sides and a softening of rhetoric. Li visited Tokyo in May. Abe's three-day trip, which began Thursday, sets up the possibility that Xi will visit Japan next year. Abe and Li already met on Thursday during a reception to celebrate the signing of the treaty that put Japanese and Chinese relations back on track after World War II. But territorial disputes continue to cause frictions. Just days before Abe's trip, Tokyo lodged an official complaint after Chinese ships cruised around the disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands. China has long denounced Japan for what it says is an insufficiently contrite attitude towards its role in World War II. But ahead of the trip, Beijing has taken a more cordial stance than it has in the past. Japanese media have reported Abe is hoping the visit will produce a soft power win in the form of some panda diplomacy, with zoos in Sendai and Kobe apparently angling for new additions.

Japan, China strike deals during Abe visit as ties improve

Two Hong Kong independence activists who were stripped of their status as lawmakers in 2016 were sentenced to four weeks in prison Monday for their role in a fracas that disrupted proceedings in the city's parliament.

Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching belong to Hong Kong's embattled independence movement, which is calling for a complete split from China for the semi-autonomous city as its freedoms come under threat from Beijing.

The pair were told they had "directly hurt the dignity of the legislative council" by judge Wong Sze-lai, who went on to grant them bail pending appeal.

They were held in custody after the sentencing while the court awaited their bail money.

Calls for Hong Kong to split from China have incensed Beijing and the past two years have seen a crackdown on any expression of pro-independence views.

Yau, 27, and Leung, 31, are the latest activists to be given jail terms on protest-related charges.

They had pleaded not guilty to unlawful assembly and attempted forcible entry after trying to barge into a legislative council meeting in November 2016.&nbsp;

The duo had been barred from the main chamber pending a court decision over their disqualification from parliament.

They ran into the chamber, and after security bundled them out, they and their supporters tried to push their way into a committee room to which the disrupted session had been moved.

In the ensuing chaos, they clashed again with security, with at least three staff taken to hospital and police called in.

Despite being elected by the public, the pair were never allowed to take up their seats after protesting at their swearing-in ceremony.

They deliberately misread their oaths of office, inserted expletives and draped themselves in "Hong Kong is not China" flags.

Beijing intervened to ensure they were not given the chance to retake their oaths by making a special "interpretation" of Hong Kong's mini-constitution.

The ruling said that any oath-taker who did not follow the prescribed wording of the pledge, "or takes the oath in a manner which is not sincere or not solemn", should be disqualified.

After the interpretation, Hong Kong's High Court ruled to bar them both.

Hong Kong is set to mark the 29th anniversary of China's crackdown on democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square with a vigil in Victoria Park&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;evening.

It is the only place on Chinese soil where the anniversary is openly marked en masse.

Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching belong to Hong Kong's embattled independence movement, which is calling for a complete split from China

Two Hong Kong independence activists who were stripped of their status as lawmakers in 2016 were sentenced to four weeks in prison Monday for their role in a fracas that disrupted proceedings in the city's parliament. Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching belong to Hong Kong's embattled independence movement, which is calling for a complete split from China for the semi-autonomous city as its freedoms come under threat from Beijing. The pair were told they had "directly hurt the dignity of the legislative council" by judge Wong Sze-lai, who went on to grant them bail pending appeal. They were held in custody after the sentencing while the court awaited their bail money. Calls for Hong Kong to split from China have incensed Beijing and the past two years have seen a crackdown on any expression of pro-independence views. Yau, 27, and Leung, 31, are the latest activists to be given jail terms on protest-related charges. They had pleaded not guilty to unlawful assembly and attempted forcible entry after trying to barge into a legislative council meeting in November 2016. The duo had been barred from the main chamber pending a court decision over their disqualification from parliament. They ran into the chamber, and after security bundled them out, they and their supporters tried to push their way into a committee room to which the disrupted session had been moved. In the ensuing chaos, they clashed again with security, with at least three staff taken to hospital and police called in. Despite being elected by the public, the pair were never allowed to take up their seats after protesting at their swearing-in ceremony. They deliberately misread their oaths of office, inserted expletives and draped themselves in "Hong Kong is not China" flags. Beijing intervened to ensure they were not given the chance to retake their oaths by making a special "interpretation" of Hong Kong's mini-constitution. The ruling said that any oath-taker who did not follow the prescribed wording of the pledge, "or takes the oath in a manner which is not sincere or not solemn", should be disqualified. After the interpretation, Hong Kong's High Court ruled to bar them both. Hong Kong is set to mark the 29th anniversary of China's crackdown on democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square with a vigil in Victoria Park on Monday evening. It is the only place on Chinese soil where the anniversary is openly marked en masse.

Hong Kong independence duo given jail term for parliament chaos

On &nbspTiananmen Square anniversary, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the Chinese government to "make a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing."

The Chinese government had sent tanks and soldiers in an attempt to quell students' protest on June 4th, 1989. After days of standoff, several thousand students were reportedly detained and some "disappeared".

"We join others in the international community in urging the Chinese government to make a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing," Pompeo said.

The Chinese government has kept a tight control over on Tiananmen Square, on the day of the anniversary&nbsptroops were seen patrolling the area.

"As Liu Xiaobo wrote in his 2010 Nobel Peace Prize speech, delivered in absentia, 'the ghosts of June 4th have not yet been laid to rest'," Pompeo said referring to the Chinese dissident who died last year while in custody.

Pompeo said he remembered "the tragic loss of innocent lives".

The Chinese government hasn't reacted to Pompeo's statement as yet.

The Chinese government had sent tanks and soldiers in an attempt to quell students' protest on June 4th, 1989.

On &nbspTiananmen Square anniversary, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the Chinese government to "make a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing." The Chinese government had sent tanks and soldiers in an attempt to quell students' protest on June 4th, 1989. After days of standoff, several thousand students were reportedly detained and some "disappeared". "We join others in the international community in urging the Chinese government to make a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing," Pompeo said. The Chinese government has kept a tight control over on Tiananmen Square, on the day of the anniversary&nbsptroops were seen patrolling the area. "As Liu Xiaobo wrote in his 2010 Nobel Peace Prize speech, delivered in absentia, 'the ghosts of June 4th have not yet been laid to rest'," Pompeo said referring to the Chinese dissident who died last year while in custody. Pompeo said he remembered "the tragic loss of innocent lives". The Chinese government hasn't reacted to Pompeo's statement as yet.

On Tiananmen anniversary, US tells China to make full 'public account of those killed, detained or missing'

Chinese authorities have barred five European diplomats from visiting the widow of the late Nobel laureate dissident Liu Xiaobo, diplomatic sources said&nbsp;Sunday.

Liu Xia, 57, has been under de facto house arrest despite facing no charges ever since her husband was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, a recognition that deeply angered the communist regime.

Liu Xiaobo died of cancer last year while still in prison after being convicted of "subversion", making him the first Nobel laureate to die in custody since the era of Nazi Germany.

The diplomats' visit came following increased concern in recent days about Liu Xia's psychological health.

The envoys, including a French and a German envoy, tried to visit her home&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;morning but were turned away by officials at the gate to the complex, the sources said.

The guards checked the diplomats' identities before refusing them entry without giving a reason.

Despite the daily restrictions and surveillance faced by Liu Xia, Chinese authorities still maintain she is free.&nbsp;

Earlier this month reports emerged that Liu Xia had told friends she was ready to "die at home" in protest at her continuing detention by Chinese authorities.

Liu Xia's friends have told reporters she is taking medication for depression and has suffered from heart problems and fainting.

Reporters have tried to visit Liu's home multiple times in recent years but were blocked each time by plainclothes men.&nbsp;

The United States and European Union have called on President Xi Jinping's government to free the widow and let her travel abroad.

Germany's ambassador to China previously told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that Liu would be welcomed in his country.

When asked earlier this month about western diplomatic calls for Liu Xia to travel abroad, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters: "But Liu Xia is a Chinese citizen. The relevant Chinese authorities will handle relevant issues in accordance with the law."

Liu Xiaobo was a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and was detained in 2008 after co-authoring Charter 08, a petition calling for democratic reforms.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for "subversion" but died in custody last July after authorities rejected his request to receive treatment abroad.

<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" />

Liu Xiaobo died of cancer last year while still in prison after being convicted of 'subversion', making him the first Nobel laureate to die in custody since the era of Nazi Germany

Chinese authorities have barred five European diplomats from visiting the widow of the late Nobel laureate dissident Liu Xiaobo, diplomatic sources said Sunday. Liu Xia, 57, has been under de facto house arrest despite facing no charges ever since her husband was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, a recognition that deeply angered the communist regime. Liu Xiaobo died of cancer last year while still in prison after being convicted of "subversion", making him the first Nobel laureate to die in custody since the era of Nazi Germany. The diplomats' visit came following increased concern in recent days about Liu Xia's psychological health. The envoys, including a French and a German envoy, tried to visit her home on Friday morning but were turned away by officials at the gate to the complex, the sources said. The guards checked the diplomats' identities before refusing them entry without giving a reason. Despite the daily restrictions and surveillance faced by Liu Xia, Chinese authorities still maintain she is free. Earlier this month reports emerged that Liu Xia had told friends she was ready to "die at home" in protest at her continuing detention by Chinese authorities. Liu Xia's friends have told reporters she is taking medication for depression and has suffered from heart problems and fainting. Reporters have tried to visit Liu's home multiple times in recent years but were blocked each time by plainclothes men. The United States and European Union have called on President Xi Jinping's government to free the widow and let her travel abroad. Germany's ambassador to China previously told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that Liu would be welcomed in his country. When asked earlier this month about western diplomatic calls for Liu Xia to travel abroad, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters: "But Liu Xia is a Chinese citizen. The relevant Chinese authorities will handle relevant issues in accordance with the law." Liu Xiaobo was a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and was detained in 2008 after co-authoring Charter 08, a petition calling for democratic reforms. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for "subversion" but died in custody last July after authorities rejected his request to receive treatment abroad.

European diplomats barred from seeing widow of China dissident: Sources

In order to achieve the mission of &quot;tightening control&quot;&nbsp;over internet content, China banned 128,000 websites containing obscene information, a report said.

China is on a drive to control internet content in an effort to maintain &quot;social stability&quot; and reduce fake news that floats on the internet.

According to reports, 10,300 pornographic sites were also banned.

Chinese authorities also shut over 128,000 websites that contained &quot;harmful information&quot; last year and deleted 4.55 million posts.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua published the&nbsp;information attributing official government data.

According to the news agency, with websites shutting down, 30.9 million &quot;illegal publications&quot;&nbsp;were also banned last year.

Also, 1,900 people were subjected to criminal penalties.

In 2016 several major portals run by companies like Tencent, Baidu, Weibo were&nbsp;fined by China&#39;s internet regulator for not properly censoring the content ahead of a major conference of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese government is also making efforts to controls the &quot;academic work&quot;.

The authorities have&nbsp;refused Chinese journalists from accessing papers and books on sensitive topics like&nbsp;Tibet, Taiwan and the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square.

(With inputs from news agency)

China is on a drive to control internet content in an effort to maintain 'social stability' and reduce fake news that floats on the internet

In order to achieve the mission of "tightening control" over internet content, China banned 128,000 websites containing obscene information, a report said. China is on a drive to control internet content in an effort to maintain "social stability" and reduce fake news that floats on the internet. According to reports, 10,300 pornographic sites were also banned. Chinese authorities also shut over 128,000 websites that contained "harmful information" last year and deleted 4.55 million posts. The official Chinese news agency Xinhua published the information attributing official government data. According to the news agency, with websites shutting down, 30.9 million "illegal publications" were also banned last year. Also, 1,900 people were subjected to criminal penalties. In 2016 several major portals run by companies like Tencent, Baidu, Weibo were fined by China's internet regulator for not properly censoring the content ahead of a major conference of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese government is also making efforts to controls the "academic work". The authorities have refused Chinese journalists from accessing papers and books on sensitive topics like Tibet, Taiwan and the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square. (With inputs from news agency)

China shut 128,000 'harmful' websites in 2017: Report

At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army&#39;s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing&#39;s Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail.

The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers.

&quot;Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000,&quot; the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britain&#39;s National Archives.

The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead.

But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible.

Donald&#39;s account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power.

During their advance, armoured personnel carriers &quot;opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs&quot;, wrote the ambassador.

He said his source was a person who &quot;was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council&quot; -- the Chinese cabinet.

He said the source had previously proved reliable &quot;and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour&quot;.

Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, &quot;students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked,&quot; Donald wrote.

&quot;Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make &#39;pie&#39; and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains.&quot;

&quot;Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted,&quot; Donald said, adding: &quot;Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up.&quot;&nbsp;

At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government had said suppression of the &quot;counter-revolutionary riots&quot; had killed 200 civilians and several dozen police and military.

Primitives

Nearly three decades after the crackdown, the communist regime continues to forbid any debate on the subject, mention of which is banned from textbooks and the media, and censored on the Internet.

There was no sign of reaction to the report on Chinese social media, where an army of online censors blocks any reference to the Tiananmen crackdown and most things critical of the Communist Party.

Donald said the atrocities were committed by the 27th Army, who he described as &quot;60 percent illiterate and are called primitives&quot;.

He said the crackdown had created deep rifts within the military and that &quot;some members of the State Council considered that civil war is imminent&quot;.

As to the credibility of the toll, former student protest leader Xiong Yan, who is now an American citizen, said: &quot;I think it&#39;s reliable.&quot;

China scholar Jean-Pierre Cabestan also said the figure was credible, pointing out that recently declassified US documents gave a similar assessment.

&quot;That&#39;s two pretty independent sources which say the same thing,&quot; said Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The British ambassador&#39;s report was &quot;not particularly astonishing considering how crowded it was in Beijing, the number of people mobilised&quot; against the Chinese government, said Cabestan, who was in the Chinese capital in the days leading up to the crackdown.&nbsp;

Former student leader Feng Congde, now also based in the United States, pointed out that Donald had sent another telegram three weeks later putting the death toll at between 2,700 and 3,400.

Feng said that toll was quite credible and fitted with figures from the Chinese Red Cross, who at the time estimated 2,700 fatalities, and by student committees based on hospital reports.

'Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000,' the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London

At least 10,000 people were killed in the Chinese army's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, according to a newly released British diplomatic cable that recounts the bloodshed in gruesome detail. The document, made public more than 28 years after the event, describes injured girls being bayoneted, bodies being ground up by armoured vehicles and human remains being flushed into the sewers. "Minimum estimate of civilian dead 10,000," the then British ambassador Alan Donald said in the secret telegram to London seen by AFP at Britain's National Archives. The estimate, given on June 5, 1989, the day after the crackdown, is almost 10 times higher than that commonly accepted at the time of several hundred to more than a thousand dead. But experts questioned by AFP said the 10,000 figure seemed credible. Donald's account gives horrific details of the violence unleashed on the night of June 3-4, when the army entered Beijing to end seven weeks of protests on Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of Communist power. During their advance, armoured personnel carriers "opened fire on the crowd (both civilians and soldiers) before running over them in their APCs", wrote the ambassador. He said his source was a person who "was passing on information given him by a close friend who is currently a member of the State Council" -- the Chinese cabinet. He said the source had previously proved reliable "and was careful to separate fact from speculation and rumour". Once the soldiers arrived in Tiananmen Square, "students understood they were given one hour to leave square but after five minutes APCs attacked," Donald wrote. "Students linked arms but were mown down including soldiers. APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make 'pie' and remains collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains." "Four wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted," Donald said, adding: "Army ambulances who attempted to give aid were shot up." At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government had said suppression of the "counter-revolutionary riots" had killed 200 civilians and several dozen police and military. Primitives Nearly three decades after the crackdown, the communist regime continues to forbid any debate on the subject, mention of which is banned from textbooks and the media, and censored on the Internet. There was no sign of reaction to the report on Chinese social media, where an army of online censors blocks any reference to the Tiananmen crackdown and most things critical of the Communist Party. Donald said the atrocities were committed by the 27th Army, who he described as "60 percent illiterate and are called primitives". He said the crackdown had created deep rifts within the military and that "some members of the State Council considered that civil war is imminent". As to the credibility of the toll, former student protest leader Xiong Yan, who is now an American citizen, said: "I think it's reliable." China scholar Jean-Pierre Cabestan also said the figure was credible, pointing out that recently declassified US documents gave a similar assessment. "That's two pretty independent sources which say the same thing," said Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. The British ambassador's report was "not particularly astonishing considering how crowded it was in Beijing, the number of people mobilised" against the Chinese government, said Cabestan, who was in the Chinese capital in the days leading up to the crackdown. Former student leader Feng Congde, now also based in the United States, pointed out that Donald had sent another telegram three weeks later putting the death toll at between 2,700 and 3,400. Feng said that toll was quite credible and fitted with figures from the Chinese Red Cross, who at the time estimated 2,700 fatalities, and by student committees based on hospital reports.

At least 10,000 killed In 1989 Tiananmen crackdown: British diplomatic cable

Yang&nbsp;Jianli&nbsp;is a Harvard fellow and president of the Washington-based&nbsp;Initiatives for China.&nbsp;Yang, who is a Chinese citizen with permanent resident status in the United States, was part of the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests. The protests were student-led, but had massive support from citizens. The protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing for seven weeks until the government ordered a military crackdown on June 4.&nbsp;Martial law had been imposed earlier. Tanks and soldiers armed with assault rifles marched on the protesters. When the protesters tried to stop their advance, the soldiers opened fire. Estimates vary, but between hundreds and thousands of people were killed in what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre.&nbsp;Yang tells&nbsp;Ramesh Ramachandran&nbsp;that a repeat of 1989&nbsp;is probable should public disenchantment with the Chinese government&#39;s policies grow.&nbsp;Edited excerpts from an interview:&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
((use photo of Tiananmen Square massacre victims here; Getty has good photos))&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What is your take on contemporary India&ndash;China relations? Does India&#39;s China policy satisfy you?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I can&#39;t say I am very happy with it, but I understand the concerns of the Indian government about its territorial dispute with China&nbsp;and the threat of terrorism from Pakistan, which has a good relationship with China. India is a large democracy and a&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;of China. I wish and hope that India will take a more proactive role in propagating the ideas of universal values such as democracy to China and also be more forthcoming in supporting us when it comes to visas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What is your position on Tibet?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Historically and contemporarily the situation in Tibet is very complex. Three principles guide us to work with Tibet:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* First, respect for the Tibetans&#39; right to self-determination and that the future of Tibet should be decided by the Tibetans themselves.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Second, we should be united to change China.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Third, we should achieve our goal with non-violence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Arab Spring happened in 2011. Similarly, we have seen people&#39;s movements in Hong Kong (the Umbrella Movement) and Taiwan (the Sunflower Student Movement) in 2014. You&nbsp;participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Do you think a Chinese Spring is probable?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is, of course, probable. Ever since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the collapse of the erstwhile USSR, it has never been far from the Chinese leaders&#39; minds. They have learnt from the experiences of dictators, be they Right wing or Left wing, to prevent people from coming together, to control society. With such high degree of control in China, people may not be able to do much, but I don&#39;t think they will continue this way for very long. Social unrest, people&#39;s resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don&#39;t think the Chinese government will be able to control such a society forever.&nbsp;So&nbsp;(a repeat of)&nbsp;1989 is very possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Did the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 add to your disillusionment with the government of the day?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I was already disenchanted with the regime and the Communist party before the students&#39; movement broke out in the spring of 1989.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lGyZpbA_tY&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;

How do you view the intersection of the foreign policies of India and the US vis-a-vis China?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Indian government is leaning towards the US more than before. It is a good sign. The US is reflecting on its decades-old China policy. China might be the second largest economy in the world, but in terms of democracy it remains at the bottom. The US thought trade with China will bring about prosperity and democracy, but it did not happen. What went wrong? Decades of economic prosperity saw the Chinese middle class join the ruling elite class, but the economic and political elites are beginning to turn their back on President Xi Jinping. I think in five or 10 years China must have some big opportunity to change and I really hope that India, the US, and other democracies will not lose the opportunity to help the Chinese people to change China. When China becomes democratic, its government will become more responsible, more predictable. Therefore in terms of security a lot of countries such as India, the US, Japan, and the Philippines will become better off for sure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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<h5>?Social unrest, people&#39;s resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don&#39;t think the Chinese Government will be able to control such a society for ever, not for a long time. So 1989 is very possible.</h5>
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How are contemporary domestic politics affecting the power dynamic in China?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A personality cult around President Xi has met with strong resistance within the party. His days will not be so easy. Four factors need to be present at the same time for real change in China:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;general dissatisfaction with the government&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;viable democratic opposition&nbsp;which is not yet there&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;power struggle or cracks within the leadership (cracks will not be meaningful until some factions have different political views from others),&nbsp;and&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* International recognition and support for the movement for change when it happens&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

We had almost achieved a revolution in 1989,&nbsp;but the international community did not&nbsp;recognise&nbsp;or intervene or give support to it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

How do you see the US-China relationship evolving under the next US President?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Republican or Democrat, the US can be expected to have a different foreign policy towards China. Whoever wins, the US will take a stronger position on security, trade and human rights.&nbsp;Compartmentalisation&nbsp;of policies did not work in the interest of the US. There is a need for an integrated approach.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In April&nbsp;you&nbsp;organised&nbsp;the&nbsp;InterEthnic&nbsp;InterFaith&nbsp;Leadership Conference at&nbsp;McLeodganj,&nbsp;India &ndash; the home of the Dalai Lama&nbsp;--&nbsp;to which members of China&#39;s ethnic and religious minorities were invited. A few days before the conference, the visas of a few participants&nbsp;whom China sees as separatists&nbsp;were revoked. It is thought India cancelled the visas under Chinese pressure.&nbsp;How do you view India&#39;s refusal or cancellation of visas to people like&nbsp;Dolkun&nbsp;Isa, chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress?&nbsp;

I am disappointed, but I understand that India is trying to find a balance between Chinese pressure and hosting the conference. One can&#39;t overlook the fact that India allowed the conference to be held without any incident. The criticism that the Modi government is weak is not fair. Policy-makers and the Modi government understand that advancing human rights and democracy in China is in the national interest of India.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

China calls&nbsp;Dolkun&nbsp;Isa a terrorist.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dolkun&nbsp;Isa is a peaceful person. He is not a terrorist. He is a citizen of Germany, which is a strong democracy. He travels freely to many countries, including the US. Any country can send a list (of persons it designates as terrorists) to Interpol but it does not mean that every country should accept it. India reacted to pressure from China which is understandable,&nbsp;but perhaps it overreacted. However, in the end, India allowed us to hold the conference which is very positive. We don&#39;t accept violence in any form. Some Uyghurs may have engaged in some kind of violent attacks, but those Uyghurs we work with are peaceful. We try to engage with some young people who have not abandoned violence. For example, some student leaders from Hong Kong were invited to the conference and spoken to about the principles of non-violence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

1989 may repeat if disenchantment with government policies grows in China, feels?Yang Jianli, president of Initiatives for China. Yang was a part of the pro-democracy protests and now lives in the US. He spoke to Ramesh Ramachandran.

Yang Jianli is a Harvard fellow and president of the Washington-based Initiatives for China. Yang, who is a Chinese citizen with permanent resident status in the United States, was part of the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests. The protests were student-led, but had massive support from citizens. The protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing for seven weeks until the government ordered a military crackdown on June 4. Martial law had been imposed earlier. Tanks and soldiers armed with assault rifles marched on the protesters. When the protesters tried to stop their advance, the soldiers opened fire. Estimates vary, but between hundreds and thousands of people were killed in what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre. Yang tells Ramesh Ramachandran that a repeat of 1989 is probable should public disenchantment with the Chinese government's policies grow. Edited excerpts from an interview: ((use photo of Tiananmen Square massacre victims here; Getty has good photos)) What is your take on contemporary India–China relations? Does India's China policy satisfy you? I can't say I am very happy with it, but I understand the concerns of the Indian government about its territorial dispute with China and the threat of terrorism from Pakistan, which has a good relationship with China. India is a large democracy and a neighbour of China. I wish and hope that India will take a more proactive role in propagating the ideas of universal values such as democracy to China and also be more forthcoming in supporting us when it comes to visas. What is your position on Tibet? Historically and contemporarily the situation in Tibet is very complex. Three principles guide us to work with Tibet: * First, respect for the Tibetans' right to self-determination and that the future of Tibet should be decided by the Tibetans themselves. * Second, we should be united to change China. * Third, we should achieve our goal with non-violence. The Arab Spring happened in 2011. Similarly, we have seen people's movements in Hong Kong (the Umbrella Movement) and Taiwan (the Sunflower Student Movement) in 2014. You participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Do you think a Chinese Spring is probable? It is, of course, probable. Ever since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the collapse of the erstwhile USSR, it has never been far from the Chinese leaders' minds. They have learnt from the experiences of dictators, be they Right wing or Left wing, to prevent people from coming together, to control society. With such high degree of control in China, people may not be able to do much, but I don't think they will continue this way for very long. Social unrest, people's resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don't think the Chinese government will be able to control such a society forever. So (a repeat of) 1989 is very possible. Did the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 add to your disillusionment with the government of the day? I was already disenchanted with the regime and the Communist party before the students' movement broke out in the spring of 1989. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lGyZpbA_tY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> How do you view the intersection of the foreign policies of India and the US vis-a-vis China? The Indian government is leaning towards the US more than before. It is a good sign. The US is reflecting on its decades-old China policy. China might be the second largest economy in the world, but in terms of democracy it remains at the bottom. The US thought trade with China will bring about prosperity and democracy, but it did not happen. What went wrong? Decades of economic prosperity saw the Chinese middle class join the ruling elite class, but the economic and political elites are beginning to turn their back on President Xi Jinping. I think in five or 10 years China must have some big opportunity to change and I really hope that India, the US, and other democracies will not lose the opportunity to help the Chinese people to change China. When China becomes democratic, its government will become more responsible, more predictable. Therefore in terms of security a lot of countries such as India, the US, Japan, and the Philippines will become better off for sure. ?Social unrest, people's resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don't think the Chinese Government will be able to control such a society for ever, not for a long time. So 1989 is very possible. How are contemporary domestic politics affecting the power dynamic in China? A personality cult around President Xi has met with strong resistance within the party. His days will not be so easy. Four factors need to be present at the same time for real change in China: * A general dissatisfaction with the government * A viable democratic opposition which is not yet there * A power struggle or cracks within the leadership (cracks will not be meaningful until some factions have different political views from others), and * International recognition and support for the movement for change when it happens We had almost achieved a revolution in 1989, but the international community did not recognise or intervene or give support to it. How do you see the US-China relationship evolving under the next US President? Republican or Democrat, the US can be expected to have a different foreign policy towards China. Whoever wins, the US will take a stronger position on security, trade and human rights. Compartmentalisation of policies did not work in the interest of the US. There is a need for an integrated approach. In April you organised the InterEthnic InterFaith Leadership Conference at McLeodganj, India – the home of the Dalai Lama -- to which members of China's ethnic and religious minorities were invited. A few days before the conference, the visas of a few participants whom China sees as separatists were revoked. It is thought India cancelled the visas under Chinese pressure. How do you view India's refusal or cancellation of visas to people like Dolkun Isa, chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress? I am disappointed, but I understand that India is trying to find a balance between Chinese pressure and hosting the conference. One can't overlook the fact that India allowed the conference to be held without any incident. The criticism that the Modi government is weak is not fair. Policy-makers and the Modi government understand that advancing human rights and democracy in China is in the national interest of India. China calls Dolkun Isa a terrorist. Dolkun Isa is a peaceful person. He is not a terrorist. He is a citizen of Germany, which is a strong democracy. He travels freely to many countries, including the US. Any country can send a list (of persons it designates as terrorists) to Interpol but it does not mean that every country should accept it. India reacted to pressure from China which is understandable, but perhaps it overreacted. However, in the end, India allowed us to hold the conference which is very positive. We don't accept violence in any form. Some Uyghurs may have engaged in some kind of violent attacks, but those Uyghurs we work with are peaceful. We try to engage with some young people who have not abandoned violence. For example, some student leaders from Hong Kong were invited to the conference and spoken to about the principles of non-violence.