Tiananmen Student Leader Woer Kaixi Calls on Japan to Become Asia's Democratic Bastion on 37th Anniversary of June Fourth Incident

(Central News Agency reporter Dai Yazhen, Tokyo, 3rd) On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the June Fourth Tiananmen Square incident, Tiananmen student movement leader Woer Kaixi held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) today, reviewing the history of the suppression of China's democratic movement and appealing to the Japanese government and society to abandon the policy of appeasement toward China, exert the influence of a major Asian democratic nation, and stand on the front line of defending freedom and democracy.

Woer Kaixi said that the students and citizens who took to the streets of Tiananmen Square in 1989 were not seeking to overthrow the regime, but to engage in dialogue with the government as citizens. However, the Chinese government ultimately responded to peaceful demonstrations with live ammunition and tanks. Thirty-seven years later, the Chinese Communist Party regime that ordered the suppression remains in power, and has even become a major force threatening the global liberal democratic order.

He pointed out that after the June Fourth incident, Japan, like other Western democratic nations, condemned China's human rights abuses but continued normal economic exchanges, leading Beijing to mistakenly believe that as long as it opened its markets, it could suppress democratic movements and violate human rights without consequences. He said he once told US politicians directly that such an approach was essentially "appeasement" toward China.

Woer Kaixi noted that in recent years, the suppression of Hong Kong's democratic movement and the large-scale sending of Uyghurs into re-education camps have prompted the international community to begin reassessing its decades-long policy toward China. He described Hong Kong's loss of freedom as not just a loss for Hong Kongers but "the free world losing a city."

Now based in Taiwan, Woer Kaixi said that Taiwan faces the threat of thousands of missiles from China every day, so it best understands that the crisis posed by China is not an abstract concept but a real pressure. He argued that Japan, also on the front line of the Chinese threat, should confront this sense of crisis.

Regarding recent US-China relations, Woer Kaixi said the United States had long hoped to gradually guide China toward democratization through economic exchanges and market opening, but that vision has not materialized. Now, the US is gradually abandoning its long-standing illusions about China and no longer believes that China can be changed through economic engagement alone.

He believes that the era of US appeasement toward China has ended. Although negotiations and deals with China may still occur, the US no longer expects to promote democratization through economic cooperation. The overall direction of US policy toward China is set, but the speed of change remains to be seen.

As for how Japan should face China, Woer Kaixi offered more direct advice. Using his experience of being bullied in school as an analogy, he said bullies become more arrogant because the victim keeps giving in; once someone fights back, they often find the bully is not as strong as imagined. "If you see the Chinese Communist Party as a bully, you'll know how to respond."

He further pointed out that Japan should no longer view China through traditional diplomatic thinking when formulating its policy, but should understand Beijing's behavior from the perspective of authoritarian rule, power structures, and criminal organizations. He even suggested that compared to international relations scholars, "perhaps we should listen more to the opinions of criminologists."

During the speech, Woer Kaixi also mentioned his special connection with Japan. He recalled that in 2010 he attempted to break into the Chinese embassy in Japan in hopes of being deported to China, and was detained by Japanese police for two days before being released. Although losing freedom was not a pleasant experience, he said the Japanese police demonstrated the professionalism and respect expected of a democratic and law-based state, which is why he has always regarded Japan as a place of refuge and safety.

Woer Kaixi concluded by appealing to the Japanese government and society. He said that the US has begun to adjust its China policy, and Japan should follow suit. He urged Japan to abandon its mindset of prioritizing economic interests and instead stand on the front line of defending freedom, democracy, and human rights. "If this generation is unwilling to pay the price for freedom and democracy, the next generation will have to pay it," he said. (Editor: Chen Huiping) 1150603

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