Image source,Getty Images
As the 32nd anniversary of June 4th is approaching, Zhou Fengsuo, one of the student leaders of the year, has been very busy these days and has held marathon-style commemorative activities online for many consecutive days.
“Because there is no candlelight in Hong Kong this year, we need to do more (activities) online to keep the candlelight bright,” Zhou Fengsuo told the BBC.
In 1989, Zhou Fengsuo was a fourth-year student in the Physics Department of Tsinghua University. After the “June 4th” suppression, he was listed as one of the 21 “June 4th” backbone students, wanted, and subsequently imprisoned.
After coming to the United States in the mid-1990s, Zhou Fengsuo continued to engage in pro-democracy activities and founded the “Humanitarian China” organization to fund pro-democracy activists. He communicates with all walks of life in the United States in fluent English and is one of the few Chinese overseas democracy activists who often appear on mainstream platforms in the United States.
Recently, on the audio social platform Clubhouse, Zhou Fengsuo invited people who had witnessed it to share their experiences. He said that after 32 years, he could still hear new voices commemorating the “June 4th” movement, many of which came from the younger generation. “Some people are not witnesses, but it is very meaningful to hear these experiences through their parents.”
On the eve of the 32nd anniversary of “June 4th”, Zhou Fengsuo accepted an interview with the BBC and talked about the significance of commemorating “June 4th”, the survival of Hong Kong’s democracy, and the change in US policy towards China.
Image source,Getty Images/AFP
The sight of Beijing residents after dawn on June 4, 1989.
BBC: At your Clubhouse event, a single point of view stirs up waves. Some people say that if the students of the 1989 student movement did not persist to the end, perhaps China is now democratized. Some people use this to push forward the situation in Hong Kong, and believe that if the activists had “clicked and stopped” in the first place, Hong Kong’s democracy would not stop there. What do you think of this view?
Zhou Fengsuo: This is very old-fashioned (viewpoint). Commentators often see the so-called ending. In fact, the ending simplifies a lot of things. This is what the CCP hopes. In fact, every day, many decisions are taking place, and many people are participating in these decisions.
Through the recent commemorative activities, we want to show that every ordinary person had a very engaged moment (in 1989), which has never been seen in the history of China. In my opinion, the impetus of the historical tide and the personal character are mutually shaped. The impact of freedom on people is crucial.
Why do you need to remember in 1989? It was not a top-down (repression), but a “freedom festival”. It was the first time that Chinese people experienced freedom. This was unprecedented. Tiananmen Square in Beijing (at the time) was an island of freedom. At that time, the experience was unforgettable for a lifetime, and the price was very high before and after.
Image source,AFP
During the June 4th student movement, students demonstrating chanted slogans.
BBC: In the past, Victoria Park in Hong Kong was full of candlelights on the anniversary of June 4th, but this year, people worry that black clothes and candlelight may violate the National Security Law. How do you interpret this shift?
Zhou Fengsuo: What we are facing is an ever-expanding evil, authoritarian regime, that’s for sure. Those who fight for freedom need to pay a price. This year’s June Fourth commemoration is to prove how precious freedom is. In order to retain the right to commemorate the “June 4th” movement, Hong Kong’s Wang Po and China’s Chen Siming have been arrested.
The greatest spiritual legacy of “Eight Nine” is to fight for freedom, which requires sacrifices. The dedication of the student movement finally won the support of all walks of life in China and the response of the people, and it has such a big impact.
The candlelight at Victoria Park is no longer, just like the “June 4th Massacre”, reminding the world how authoritarian this regime is and cannot tolerate any free voices.
Image source,Reuters
In the past, rallies in Victoria Park attracted tens of thousands of people to participate.
BBC: You have been engaged in the Chinese pro-democracy movement in the United States for many years and have extensive contacts with American policymakers, lawmakers, and journalists. Human rights have recently become one of the fuse for the deteriorating relationship between China and the United States. According to your observation, what changes have taken place in the US policy circles’ perception of China and its human rights situation in recent years?
Zhou Fengsuo: More and more people realize that the US policy of appeasement to China has made serious mistakes, and the fall of Hong Kong is one of the consequences. The most fundamental thing is that we need to face up to the comprehensive threat that the CCP poses to global trade and the digital world, and we can no longer look at it in the previous way.
The Democratic government of the United States has done a good job in the past few months. The most important landmark event was the collapse of the China-EU Investment Agreement. The era of appeasement to China is over, and now it is necessary to decouple. I think it is a wise choice.
However, there are also hard to return. The China policy of the year has fostered a very powerful authoritarian regime, which has transcended spatial boundaries through globalization, and is well adapted to the current top-down control of artificial intelligence and big data. This is an unprecedented challenge. What Biden said before was right. How a democratic system can defeat the communist totalitarian 2.0 is a survival challenge for the United States. This is not just a problem for the Chinese.
The era of “making a fortune together” has passed, and they (the United States) should recognize it. Since taking office, the Biden administration has basically continued the China policy initiated by the Trump administration, from appeasement to confrontation.
Image source,AFP
BBC: From youth to over half a century, from China to the United States, why are you still insisting on speaking out for the “June 4th” commemoration?
Zhou Fengsuo: This is my belief. The first time I felt hope was in Tiananmen Square in 1989. I think Chinese people love freedom and are willing to sacrifice for freedom. I will always remember that authoritarian regimes are against human nature. Choosing this path, I don’t care how strong this regime is. It is a very glorious thing for me to fight against it by sailing against the current.
Maybe we will not see a day of freedom in China, but the spirit of pursuing democracy and freedom will be passed on. I believe this is a very important part of China’s collective spirit.
(In order to facilitate readers’ understanding, the interview has been abridged and edited)