On 4 June 1989, the Chinese government sent troops and tanks to crush protests calling for political reform in and around the central square in the capital Beijing.

Rubio's statement largely mirrored his past remarks on the crackdown but is likely to be reassuring to Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy supporters

Piazza Tienanmen, Pechino risponde a Rubio: "Affermazioni che distorcono i fatti storici"