It's now 22 years ago; so of course it is ancient history to the young Chinese (I remember in my childhood my parents going on about the General Strike which happened only 6 years before I was born but which seemed to me to belong with the Great Fire of London and the Roman Empire and the French Revolution as part of an undifferentiated mass of the ancient world); which is of course how the events of June 1989 are going to appear to Jason & those of his generation.

But I know too that he is a young man of sufficient empathy to realise what it all still means to those of us who were actually there at the time & involved [my wife had visited those of her students who were taking part in the happenings of the Square only 2 days before ~~ she actually saw their famous Goddess Of Democracy with her own eyes: see my post above of 28 Feb 0250 am]. I am still in touch with some of my late wife's academic colleagues from her time there ~ with one of whom, BTW, to urge the continuing connection, she compiled what I am told is still a standard comprehension textbook for Chinese university students of English: Advanced College Reading by Li Yanshu & Valerie G Myer, Beijing 1992: & Dr Li tells me too that some broadcasts that Valerie & I did for the English Language service of Radio Beijing still feature on their airwaves every few months. I mention these things to stress that to our generation Tienanmen & its lessons have not been forgotten.

~Michael~