On Thursday night, a leader of the Tiananmen Square protests, who was jailed and then exiled after the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy movement crushed, told reporters in Japan that the string of protests shows that younger Chinese are not politically apathetic.
In the past 30 years, there was a myth that the younger generation or middle class were really satisfied about the government, but these protests show us the truth, he said, speaking in Tokyo.
This movement reveals the truth, and this is a big significance. There is already a lot of conflict between society and the government, and it's not a harmonious society. Wang believed that the unrest would continue, and could signal a new protest era. Anger over China's zero-Covid policy - which includes mass lockdowns, constant testing and quarantines, even for people who are not infected - has led to wider political reforms, with some calling for President Xi Jinping to step down.
After 33 years, the first feeling that came to my mind when I saw the incredible protests across China was the spirit of 1989.
Watching videos of Chinese university students chanting ''give me liberty or give me death' has brought tears and hopes, he said.