The post-cultural revolutionary 1980s were marked by a significant loosening of rigid party rule and had raised hopes of further political changes among democracy activists. Hu Yaobang's death on april 15, 1989 was taken as an occasion for a public demonstration of mourning for a respected party member that the government was unable to stop.

On June 3 and 4, 1989, the Chinese military violently suppressed student protests in central Beijing. No people died on the square itself, while in other parts of the city between several hundred and several thousand people lost their lives, according to Amnesty International. Press reports based on sources in the Chinese Red Cross named 2,600 dead on the part of the insurgents and of the military and around 7,000 injured throughout Beijing during the week.

"Tank Man" and "Unknown Rebel" are the names for a not yet publicly identified man who gained international fame by standing in front of a convoy of tanks during the massacre on Tian'anmen Square and blocking their advance, carrying a shopping bag in each hand. This scene of civil disobedience was captured by numerous photographers and television crews. Various recordings of the scene have been used by a number of newspapers and television stations.

In April 1998, Time Magazine named "Tank Man" in the list of the 100 most Influential people of the century.

In 2021 the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. With more than 92 million members, the party is one of the most influential power structures in the world.