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Secret Journal Of Tiananmen-Era Official Released

On May 19, 1989, a tearful Zhao Ziyang, one of the Communist Party's top officials, addressed student protesters in Tiananmen Square. That was the last the world would hear from him. After that speech, Zhao was put under house arrest, where he remained until his death in 2005.

But Zhao was recording his memoirs in secret, and next week they're being published as a book titled, Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang. Guest host Rebecca Roberts talks with editor Bao Pu about the book.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.