Tiananmen Square post
I wish I had some sort of profound or "inside China" post about this anniversary. I gave it a few days to write just in case, but there is nothing to link to in the Chinese media nor do I have any or overhear any conversations with anyone (except Randy) about it. Randy has actually been to Tiananmen square, on a trip to Beijing with some of his expat friends and their Chinese girlfriends, so maybe he might have something more candid and interesting to add in the comments if he has time today.
In places in China where discussions of the anniversary are open and frank, which would basically just be Hong Kong, their news was full of reports. In case you are the two or three people that read this blog that don't read Open Book or came here from Open Book, Amy has linked to an NY Times article that quoted Cardinal Zen, the "deviant Bishop" himself (his own words he used to describe himself).
In the SCMP, the Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang, who was not present at any of the Hong Kong events commemorating the Tiananment Square crackdown because he is travelling in the mainland, was quoted yesterday:
Tsang's current approval rating in Hong Kong is pretty high, basically because the Hong Kong economy is doing well.
During this same trip to the mainland, according to today's SCMP, Tsang attended Mass and received communion officiated by "Bishop" Ma in Kunming. There's even a picture accompanying the article online of Tsang taking pictures himself before Mass. Of course, the Chief Executive's Office said it is his practice to attend Mass daily, even in the mainland (they must make special arrangements when he is in Shenzhen because at least for St. Paul's the doors aren't even unlocked until Mass time on Sundays only). Interesting, too, that the article specifically points out that Tsang received communion from a concelebrating priest. And there's also requisite discussion from unnamed canon law experts about whether or not Tsang consciously sinned.
In places in China where discussions of the anniversary are open and frank, which would basically just be Hong Kong, their news was full of reports. In case you are the two or three people that read this blog that don't read Open Book or came here from Open Book, Amy has linked to an NY Times article that quoted Cardinal Zen, the "deviant Bishop" himself (his own words he used to describe himself).
In the SCMP, the Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang, who was not present at any of the Hong Kong events commemorating the Tiananment Square crackdown because he is travelling in the mainland, was quoted yesterday:
Mr Tsang, speaking during a trip to Yunnan , said: "Seventeen years have passed [since the June 4 incident]. Mainland China has achieved great economic growth over the last 17 years. These achievements have also brought prosperity and economic benefits to Hong Kong and allow us to reflect on the incident in an objective perspective."
Tsang's current approval rating in Hong Kong is pretty high, basically because the Hong Kong economy is doing well.
During this same trip to the mainland, according to today's SCMP, Tsang attended Mass and received communion officiated by "Bishop" Ma in Kunming. There's even a picture accompanying the article online of Tsang taking pictures himself before Mass. Of course, the Chief Executive's Office said it is his practice to attend Mass daily, even in the mainland (they must make special arrangements when he is in Shenzhen because at least for St. Paul's the doors aren't even unlocked until Mass time on Sundays only). Interesting, too, that the article specifically points out that Tsang received communion from a concelebrating priest. And there's also requisite discussion from unnamed canon law experts about whether or not Tsang consciously sinned.
Comments