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Article: Desperately seeking democracy
- Article from:
- New Statesman
- Article date:
- June 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright New Statesman Ltd. Jun 1, 2009. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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For almost a century, the Chinese people have been calling for freedom. In the 20 years since Tiananmen Square, personal liberty has grown - but politically, China is as stifled as ever.
On 4 May 1919, more than 3,000 students set out from Beijing University and marched to the Tiananmen Gate in the heart of the imperial city, inaugurating a movement that was to resonate in China for almost a hundred years. Outraged that the German concessions in China had been handed over to Japan at the Versailles peace conference, instead of being returned to China, the students unleashed a protest that launched a fierce debate about China's weakness and how the new republic could become a modern nation. ...