I would argue that the legacy of the Tiananmen Square
demonstrations of 1989 was that China actually reduced its openness and slowed any
movement towards democratization that might have been
happening.
The Chinese government is extremely concerned
that its people might become angry enough to cause serious social disruption. This fear
was intensified by the fall of communism in Europe and by the Tiananmen demonstrations.
This led to a pretty serious crackdown on the part of the government that continues to
this day. For example, the press has reported widely on the fact that any moves towards
any sort of demonstrations (in the wake of the Arab world's rebellions) have been
swiftly crushed by the government. In addition, the government continues to heavily
censor the internet.
Since Tiananmen, there has been a
great deal of opening in China's economy. However, there has been, if anything, a move
away from openness and democracy in its political system.
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