Twenty years ago, the Communist Party called out the People's Liberation Army to suppress a people's movement whose focus was Tiananmen Square in Beijing but whose scope was nationwide. The result was what is known today as the June 4 massacre.
And, in the ensuing weeks and months, the security apparatus of the government that calls itself the People's Republic of China employed tactics of force and intimidation to drill fear into its citizens - the people of the People's Republic.
Night after night, television news showed more and more people being taken into custody. Those arrested were shown in helpless postures, with arms twisted behind their backs by iron-faced men in uniform. The power of the state was in full view.
Twenty years later, many would say that the party has won. Today, there is little resistance to party rule, largely because it has brought prosperity to the people and international respect for the country. Maybe. The party has learned that, to stay in power, it has to give the people what they want. And so, as many have pointed out, there is an unspoken compact: as long as the party continues to raise living standards, the people will not challenge its right to rule.
That is why the economic downturn is such a challenge. If China should fall into recession - in fact, if China's growth rate should drop below 8 per cent - there is a serious danger of unrest and the party's legitimacy could be seriously questioned.
Today, the communist leadership likes to describe itself as the 'ruling party', as though there had been an election that it had won. The iron fist is well covered by the velvet glove.
China's leaders today wear jackets and ties rather than Mao suits. They are well educated and sophisticated and do not feel awkward in the presence of foreign leaders. And while they may do business with international pariahs whose countries are rich in natural resources, they certainly don't want China to be lumped together with them.