It was a tragic paradox that the political movement that so peacefully swept China in 1989 ended up arresting the process of broad-based, evolutionary reform to which Zhao consecrated his life. So chastened by the trauma of June 4 was the Party leadership that, for several years afterwards, it was unclear if any reform would survive.
1989年和平席卷中国的政治运动最终阻止了赵紫阳为之献身的具有广泛基础的进步改革，这个结果充满了悲剧色彩。此后的几年内，受到六四事件重创的党的领导人都不清楚改革到底还有没有生存空间。而后在1992年，邓小平启动了历史上最迅速、也最彻底的市场化改革，让中国在经济上迅速崛起。