Chinese minister defends 1989 Tiananmen crackdown

SINGAPORE: The 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square was the correct policy, China's defence minister said Sunday.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence which is a correct policy," General Wei Fenghe told a regional security forum in Singapore.

Speaking to fellow defence ministers, top military officers and academics from all over the world, Wei questioned why people still say that China "did not handle the incident properly".

"The 30 years have proven that China has undergone major changes," he said, adding that because of the government´s action "China has enjoyed stability and development".

Beijing was the epicentre of student-led protests 30 years ago, with hundreds or possibly more than 1,000 killed by soldiers at the square on June 4, 1989.