Li Peng: Chinese Prime Minister who ordered Tiananmen Square crackdown dies

The Chinese Prime Minister who ordered a bloody crackdown in Tiananmen Square to counter pro-democracy protests has died.

Li Peng died at the age of 90 on Monday of an unspecified illness.

While he leaves behind a legacy of long-term economic growth, he is best known for his role in the demonstrations that spawned the enduring image of a protester blocking the path of three tanks.

Li was broadly disliked by the population as a result of what happened and became known as the “Butcher of Beijing”, but still spent another 13 years at the pinnacle of power before retiring in 2002

Via The Guardian/ Asia Times

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