After the 1986 student protests subsided and Hu Yaobang stepped down in 1987, China's political reforms came to a complete standstill, and economic reforms also encountered difficulties. The voices of intellectuals and democrats criticizing the government intensified. On January 6, 1989, astrophysicist Fang Lizhi sent a letter to Deng Xiaoping. The letter read:

"This year marks the 40th year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the 70th year of the May 4th Movement. Around these 40th and 70th anniversaries, there will no doubt be many commemorative activities. Yet more than looking back to the past, many people may be more concerned about today, more concerned about the future. They look forward to the new hope that these two anniversaries will bring.

"In view of this, I sincerely suggest that, on the eve of these two dates to come, implement a general amnesty throughout the country, especially the release of Wei Jingsheng and all similar political prisoners. I think, no matter how Wei Jingsheng himself is judged, to release someone like him who has already served approximately ten years in prison would be the humane thing to do, would promote good feeling throughout society.

"This year also happens to be the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. No matter how you look at it, the freedom, equality, fraternity, and human rights symbolized by that revolution have been universally respected by humanity. So again, I sincerely hope that you will consider my proposal, and will lend new hope to the future."

This open letter produced continuing resonance within intellectual circles; many times, large numbers of intellectuals wrote similar and joint letters, publicly asking the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee to pay attention to human rights. As this was happening, the letter was widely published in many countries' newspapers, attracting international attention.

After the June 4th crackdown, this open letter became a piece of evidence used by the regime to accuse Fang Lizhi of being a mastermind behind the June 4th Incident.

References: "The Fang Lizhi Anthology"; "Political Struggles During the Age of Reform in China"; [BBC中文網("BBC News Chinese Edition")(Chinese)] (https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-48094034)