The story of Tiananmen Square did not begin – or end – in 1989. Protests erupted across the country following a decade of political and economic crisis and, although the movement was ultimately suppressed, workers and students redrew the boundaries of repression and resistance in contemporary China.

Originally published in 1991, Charlie Hore’s ‘The Road to Tiananmen Square’ unearths the historical roots of the 1989 revolt. He explores the central role of workers, students, and mass movements in the creation of the Chinese Communist Party, the 1925-27 and 1949 revolutions, and the tumultuous reigns of Mao and Deng. In the new introduction to this updated edition, Hore charts the evolution of Chinese class relations in the wake of Tiananmen. Despite state attempts to repress and co-opt dissent, resistance to exploitation and oppression has been a constant feature of politics across China, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.