Chinese troops and tanks forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, after weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms.
China’s communist rulers have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown.
“Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989,“ Rubio said.
“The erroneous statements by the US side maliciously distort historical facts, deliberately attack China’s political system and developmental path, and seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs,“ Lin said.
Despite a long Senate career as an outspoken advocate for human rights, Rubio has been more selective as President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, focusing his rights criticism on US adversaries including China and Cuba.
But Rubio’s statement had subtle differences -- his Democratic predecessor Antony Blinken last year urged China to accept recommendations in a UN-backed rights review and to respect freedoms enshrined in the post-World War II Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te echoed Rubio’s remarks, vowing to preserve the memory of victims of the bloody crackdown.
China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to seize the democratic island by force.
In Hong Kong, jailed activist Chow Hang-tung began a 36-hour hunger strike on Wednesday, a dogged attempt to individually commemorate the anniversary in a city that once hosted huge public remembrances.
Hong Kong had been the only place under Chinese rule where commemoration of the crackdown was tolerated.
But after huge and sometimes violent protests roiled the city in 2019, Beijing brought in a wide-ranging national security law that has quashed political dissent.
On Wednesday, AFP journalists saw dozens of police patrolling the district around the park.
In a social media post, Chow said her hunger strike would “commemorate this day and reaffirm our commitment”.
“History tells us that (the apology) will likely take a very long time –- the Tiananmen Mothers have been waiting for 36 years and still have not received an apology,“ she said, referring to an activist group made up of families of victims of the crackdown.
China’s authorities have never addressed the group’s plea for dialogue around the issue -- instead, they have used all means to monitor and wiretap members of the Tiananmen Mothers, Zhang said.
“The lights in Victoria Park may have been blown out by the gales, but the sparks of justice will glow in the hearts of every conscientious person,“ she added.
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