Deng Xiaoping on the 1989 Tiananmen Unrest and Military Action

This storm was bound to come sooner or later

This trend, for the overall situation and for China’s own smaller situation,

has determined that something like this had to happen

For the people, we have always been working on the true face of this campaign

It was going to come anyway, sooner or later, in big and small ways

Now, after all, it is in our favor

First and foremost, the biggest advantage

is that there is still a large group of old comrades bearing the burden and giving support

taking resolute action

The veteran comrades have been through many upheavals

Wait until this problem becomes even more serious and grave

Although some comrades in other countries may not understand for a while, in the end they will still come to understand

In the end they will realize they ought to support this decision of the Central Committee

At a glance it is clear what kind of matter this is

There is no ambiguity at all

It is to overthrow the Communist Party and overthrow socialism

There are mainly two points

Overthrow the Communist Party and overthrow socialism

and establish a so-called republic that is completely Westernized

This is, for our army,

a very serious political test

To be tested like this is only what we deserve

If we had not suffered casualties like this, if at that time we had just rolled over them with tanks

then, in my view, right and wrong would now be unclear to people across the whole country

So I want to thank those personnel who created that construction and blocking line

for adopting this kind of attitude in dealing with it

Even though, politically, it is heartbreaking

we can still face the people

The Chinese people are not Nationalist Party people