People's Liberation Army at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Belligerents

PRC Government
- Chinese Communist Party
  - Central Military Commission
    - People's Liberation Army

Demonstrators

Commanders and leaders

Deng Xiaoping (CMC Chairman)
Yang Shangkun (President)
Li Peng (Premier)
Liu Huaqing (CMC deputy Secretary-general)
Chi Haotian (Head of the General Staff Department)
Yang Baibing (Director of the General Political Department)

Xu Qinxian (Commander of the 38th Group Army)

Student leaders:

Workers:

Intellectuals:

Strength 150,000–350,000 troops 50,000–100,000 demonstratorsCasualties and losses 23 killed including 10 PLA and 13 PAP
~5000 wounded
60+ armored personnel carriers
30+ police cars
1,000+ military vehicles
120+ public busses
70+ other vehicles 218 killed
hundreds to ~2,600 killed
2,000+ wounded

During the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played a decisive role in enforcing martial law, using force to suppress the demonstrations in the city. Within China, the role of the military in 1989 remains a subject of private discussion within the ranks of the party leadership and PLA.