China deports Australian artist after Tiananmen remarks

The girlfriend of Guo Jian shows Guo's picture on her mobile phone which she took last May, upon reporters' request as she waits for Guo's arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport June 16, 2014. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

BEIJING (Reuters) - China deported a well-known Chinese-born Australian artist on Monday after he was detained following his comments on the 25th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Guo Jian, 52, a former Chinese soldier, was detained last month after an interview with the Financial Times regarding his experiences as a protester during the army's violent dispersal of the demonstrators on June 4, 1989.