In the cable, Embassy officials report information gleaned from an unidentified source that Chinese security forces have detained more than 100 students and arrested 23 suspected "ringleaders" involved in the demonstration. (November 25, 1985) ...

The document also reports another incident, that the cables authors call "astonishing," which involved several hundred students from the Bejing Central College of Nationalities who were protesting the nuclear weapons testing program in Xinjiang ...

The cable notes how the recent spate of demonstrations provoked criticism from the Chinese government who warned that the adoption of "overly energetic methods" to express views could affect stability and interfere with societal functions. (Dece ...

This document, a heavily excised summary transcript of their conversation, indicates that the subject of the student demonstrations did come up at their meeting. (May 23, 1989) ...

This document, the first in this series of SITREPs, updates U.S. embassy and consular personnel around the world on the first violent clashes with demonstrators. (June 3, 1989) ...

The document describes how civilians turned out in massive numbers and fought for seven hours to prevent the troops from advancing on the square. ...

The State Department's China task force was busy updating other diplomatic and consular posts around the world on the situation in Beijing. (June 4, 1989) ...

By the morning of June 5 (Eastern Standard Time) the "severity of the assault" had become clear to U.S. officials. ...

This Department of State morning summary describes clashes among different PLA units, with sources claiming that in many cases the soldiers were sympathetic with the demonstrators and often complicit in the destruction of their own military vehicles. ...

Embassy officials report continuing large-scale troop movements around Beijing. (June 6, 1989) ...