Moderate elements in the Chinese government were negotiating while hard liners were pushing to roll in the tanks. This was during a period of radical opening up. Deng Xiaoping was the Premier, hardly one to advocate hard line tactics if conciliatory gestures would work.
The Students went on a hunger strike which could make the case they were not thinking rationally any longer. The Chinese asked the students to clear Tienanmen Square so it could hold a traditional greeting for the Russian President (Gorbachev?) that was coming for a State visit. That was a big deal. The government was forced to select an alternate and lesser location. If you understand Chinese culture, that was not a small deal. The hardliners prevailed and in rolled the tanks.
Also, you can't look at Tienanmen though the eyes or our experience. Historical factors come into play, most notably the Cultural Revolution and the insanity and cultural horror brought on by students.
Most Chinese do not look favorably on student protests not wanted to go down that road again. Political stability and prosperity are not given up easily when the alternative led to so much terrible times.
In Hong Kong, the concession may have come late but it was offered. In the long view, that victory is better than what is coming would be my guess.
I'll admit I am not completely up to speed on Hong Kong situation presently.
I understand both judicial systems - I have direct experience in both. The people of Hong Kong are certainly correct to protest and resist any imposition of the Mainland Chinese legal system on the Hong Kong people.
“Deng Xiaoping was the Premier, hardly one to advocate hard line tactics if conciliatory gestures would work.”
Lol.
“Deng Xiaoping was the Premier, hardly one to advocate hard line tactics if conciliatory gestures would work.”
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Chicom dictators have long been renowned for their gentle ways and tender touch.
Thanks for your detailed reply though many of your characterizations seem to be off. Not going into detail here since the subject had been written extensively by others, except to point out that Deng was the one who gave the order on that fateful day, and that Chinese people in 1989 couldn’t have conflated students at the time with Mao’s Red Guards from the 1960s.