 According to the Wall Street Journal, among the 1.1 billion people in China in 1990, Hou Dejian was the only individual to utter “in public the criticisms of the state that many Chinese share[d] but dare not speak.” Andrew Higgins, a Beijing correspondent for the Independent, a British daily, stated that Hou was “the only real interview in town.” China initially accepted his opposition, giving the impression that those who challenged the state would not face consequences.However, on June 1, 1990, Hou, along with Gao Xin and Zhou Duo, cancelled a news conference in which they intended to speak up against the government.According to Linda Jaivin, the news conference was intended to reaffirm Hou and the others’ “commitment to the principles of rationality, tolerance, and non-violence.” It also acted as a petition for the release of Liu Xiaobo and other so called black hands that took part in the 1989 protests.