On the 37th anniversary of the massacre of Tiananmen Square protesters and others in early June, 1989, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a formal statement:
“On June 4, the world marks 37 years since the Chinese Communist Party ordered its troops to attack thousands of peaceful demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square. Chinese students, workers, and other civilians who lost their lives had gathered to exercise their natural rights and demand democratic reforms and accountability for corruption.
“We remember their lives and honor their legacy. No amount of censorship can erase the past. Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.”
These words were posted on the State Department website and were reposted by the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau and, in Chinese, by the U.S. diplomatic mission in China.
Many others have also commented on what happened in Tiananmen Square. But since Rubio is a prominent representative of the U.S. government, his statement has received more attention. It has been widely reported and has gotten millions of views (Vision Times, June 10, 2026).
The statement by Secretary Marco Rubio on X and the U.S. diplomatic mission in China received millions of views online. The combined content was viewed more than seven million times, with the Chinese-language version accounting for more than 5.7 million views.
China’s Foreign Ministry subsequently criticized the United States and Rubio, accusing Washington of “inciting ideological confrontation,” “distorting historical facts,” “smearing” China’s political system, and interfering in China’s internal affairs….
Among the comments [by others] were: “Rubio is going to be sanctioned again. Next time he visits China, the Secretary of State will be ‘Lu Biao’ instead of Rubio.”
Another commenter recalled watching events unfold on television in 1989: “In May 1989, my family bought a second-hand color television. I watched those older brothers and sisters peacefully demonstrating against corruption. One day my father suddenly stood up and said, ‘This is bad. They’ve been labeled counterrevolutionaries. People are going to be killed.’ ”
Other comments included: “People who fight for freedom deserve respect.”
“Thank you, Rubio. Thank you, America. Thank you for continuing to speak out for the victims of June Fourth.”
“The Communist Party is a scourge on humanity and has caused countless deaths directly and indirectly.”
“The CCP must come to an end.”
“Thank you to the U.S. government. Natural human rights cannot be taken away.”
Vision Times also quotes the statement of Republic of China President Lai Ching-te, who says that a “truly great nation…should be tolerant of different voices, protect the people’s right to pursue their dreams, and have the courage to face the wounds of history. People should be able to express their views freely, and citizens of different generations and political perspectives should be able to participate in public decision-making.”
If I have any question about Rubio’s words, it would pertain to the reference to vindication in the future: “Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.”
The protesters are already justified or vindicated, today, as they have been for decades, in the eyes of anyone well-informed and honest about the protests and Beijing’s response. Rubio may mean vindication by a future government of China and a future citizenry from whom the truth will no longer be hidden to the extent that a totalitarian state can hide it.
