the tiananmen protests became the breaking point of the relationship of szeto wah and the communist party. the joint committee on the promotion of democratic government was active in voicing support in the student protests in beijing starting from may. on 20 may, it organised a rally against the government's martial law which attracted a large amount of turnout despite under the typhoon no. 8. on the next day, another million attended the rally marching from chater road in central to happy valley racecourse. the joint committee announced its reorganisation into the hong kong alliance in support of patriotic democratic movements in china. szeto was elected chairman of the alliance, in which he assumed until his death in 2011.