The 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Protests: Examining the Significance of the 1989 Demonstrations in China and Implications for U.S. Policy

Senator Byron Dorgan presents a hearing on the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and their implications for U.S. policy.

06/04/2009 2:15PM - 4:00PM

Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

Senator Byron Dorgan, Chairman and Representative Sander Levin, Cochairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Panelists:

• Hon. Winston Lord, U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, 1985-1989
• Dr. Perry Link, Chancellorial Chair in Teaching Across Disciplines, University of California, Riverside and Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies, Princeton University
• Dr. Minxin Pei, China Program Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Dr. Susan Shirk, Director, University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation
• Dr. Yang Jianli, Tiananmen protest participant, President, Initiatives for China; Senior Fellow, Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies

This CECC Hearing will examine the significance of the Tiananmen Square protests and their suppression in Beijing 20 years ago. How have citizen demands for government accountability and democracy changed in 20 years? What impact have the 1989 demonstrations had on the Chinese government and Communist Party over the last two decades? What are the implications, if any, of the 1989 demonstrations for U.S. policy toward China today?

All CECC hearings are open to the public and press.

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The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) consists of nine Senators, nine Members of the House of Representatives and five representatives from the executive branch appointed by the President of the United States. The CECC was created by Congress in 2000 to monitor and report on human rights, including worker rights, and the development of the rule of law in China. The CECC submits an annual report to the President and the Congress and also maintains a Political Prisoner Database, both of which are accessible by the public at www.cecc.gov. The current Chairman is Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) and the Cochairman is Representative Sander M. Levin (D-MI).