BEIJING/TAIPEI: China, on June 4, strongly criticized comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the deadly crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square 37 years ago.

China said Rubio's remarks were an attempt to damage its political system. At the same time, Taiwan urged China to confront its past.

The events of June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing, are not openly discussed in China, and the anniversary is not officially marked.

A day earlier, Rubio had said that China's censorship cannot erase the memory of the military crackdown. He added that those who died while defending their rights to free speech and peaceful protest would one day be proven right. His statement followed the usual practice of top U.S. diplomats marking the anniversary.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the government had already reached a clear conclusion about what it calls the "political turmoil" of the late 1980s. She accused the U.S. of twisting facts, attacking China's political system, and interfering in its internal matters under the excuse of democracy and human rights. She also defended China's socialist system.

Commemorations of the crackdown continue in cities outside China, including Taipei. Taiwanese leaders often use the anniversary to criticize China. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said a truly strong country should not rely on military force. He urged China to acknowledge the truth about the June 4 incident, heal past wounds, and open the way for dialogue and reconciliation.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not comment on Lai's remarks. China considers Lai a separatist and has rejected his offers for talks, while Lai insists that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.

On June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks moved into Tiananmen Square before dawn, ending weeks of protests by students and workers. China has never given an official death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the number of deaths could be in the thousands. The government blamed the protests on people trying to overthrow Communist Party rule.

In Hong Kong, where large candlelight vigils were once held every year in Victoria Park, public remembrance has stopped since China imposed a national security law in 2020. The park is now used for a food and cultural event organized by pro-Beijing groups.

These vigils were once seen as a symbol of Hong Kong's freedoms compared with those in mainland China. Now, the anniversary in the city is marked by heavy police presence and very few public activities.

However, vigils are still expected in several cities worldwide, including in Germany and Australia.

Online, the British embassy in China shared a short animation on X to honor the unknown man who famously stood in front of tanks during the crackdown. The clip included music from  "L'Internationale," a song widely sung by the protesters.