In 1986, discussions of political reform came into the open. At the time, writers Wang Ruowang, Liu Binyan, and astrophysicist Fang Lizhi advocated that China should "completely westernize" and implement "multi-party politics". Such views were very popular in university lectures and seminars. The students were full of dissatisfaction with the Communist Party, full of desire for democracy, and were eager to attack the system.

In November 1986, students from Anhui Province's University of Science and Technology of China were discontented with the "undemocratic" practices in the local elections for People's Congress deputies; the students posted big-character posters calling on the masses to fight for democracy. It was from here that the student movement kicked off. Vice-president Fang Lizhi expressed his support, emphasizing that "democracy is achieved through personal effort". This strengthened the students' determination. In the days that followed, the student protests gradually spread. Student protests broke out in Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, and other places. Many people pointed to the Four Cardinal Principles as the root cause of their dissatisfaction. On New Year's Day of 1987, institutions of higher education in Beijing held a joint demonstration before Tian'anmen Gate Tower. Institutions of higher education in 28 cities across the country also held demonstrations, showing support for each other across the miles.

During the student movement, Hu Yaobang suggested that there should be "communication" and "dialog" with the leaders of the student movement, and was reluctant to take tough measures. This stance sparked resentment among the CCP elders. At the end of 1986, as the scale of the student protests gradually weakened, the Central Committee began seeking to pin blame for the outbreak of the movement. On December 30, Deng Xiaoping expressed his stance on the 1986 student movement, namely, that it was a major political incident, and assigning blame to Hu Yaobang's lack of firmness in his "opposition to bourgeois liberalization." Hu's political punishment for the incident included being relieved of his position as General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, a position that was taken over by Zhao Ziyang.

In January 1987, the CCP Central Committee expelled many movement figures from the Party, including Wang Ruowang, Fang Lizhi, and Liu Binyan. The Central Committee also adopted dictatorial measures against the agitators and organizers of the student movement. Although the student protests had subsided, some demonstrators still desired continued promotion of political reform in China. This paved the way for the 1989 democracy movement.

Reference: Yang Jisheng, "Political Struggles During the Age of Reform in China"