Newly-declassified records reveal that then-External Affairs Minister Joe Clark personally intervened to cancel the screening of The Last Emperor at the 1989 grand opening of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, deeming it "too sensitive" in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre.Blacklock's Reporter says Clark's decision came just days after the Chinese military's violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, a tragedy that deeply shocked the international community. The film, The Last Emperor, depicted the life of Henry Pu-Yi, the last emperor of China, and had been co-produced with assistance from Chinese state agencies, including the People's Liberation Army.“He made the decision to find a substitute for the film The Last Emperor which was to be shown as part of the opening ceremony,” stated confidential Minutes from a June 15, 1989 cabinet meeting. “It was felt it would have been too sensitive and controversial to show the film given its subject matter and the circumstances currently prevailing in China.”Prime Minister Brian Mulroney acknowledged the emotional impact of the massacre, noting that “relations [with China] would not continue as before.” The brutal crackdown by the People’s Liberation Army on June 4, 1989, left an unknown number of student protesters dead in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, with Canadian diplomats at the time documenting the atrocities.One report from the Canadian embassy noted the grim public mood: “Chinese we talk to despair about the future of their country. It was probably thought the massacre of a few hundreds or thousands would convince the population not to pursue their protests. It seems to be working.”Accounts from diplomats on the ground painted a harrowing picture. “An old woman knelt in front of soldiers pleading for students; soldiers killed her,” a Telex reported. “A boy was seen trying to escape holding a woman with a two-year-old child in a stroller and was run over by a tank. The tank turned around and mashed them up.”Other reports hinted at further atrocities, including public executions and soldiers' bodies being discovered in canals. Despite widespread rumors, diplomats found it difficult to verify the total death toll or the scale of the brutality. “It may be years before the true story is known,” one Telex concluded.Clark's decision to withdraw the film screening was part of a broader reassessment of Canada's diplomatic relationship with China. As the Cabinet meeting concluded, the sentiment was clear: China’s actions had shaken international trust, and diplomatic relations would not be the same.
