REM claims that the popular song phrase "Shiny Happy People Holding Hands" ironically came from where?

Lots of talk about this being a rumor, nevertheless:

"The title and chorus are based on a Chinese propaganda poster. The slogan "Shiny happy people holding hands" is used ironically - the song was released in 1991, 2 years after the Tiananmen Square uprising when the Chinese government clamped down on student demonstrators, killing hundreds of them."

https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/shiny-happy-people-by-r-e-m

The 1991 R.E.M. song "Shiny, Happy People" has been RUMORED to be about Chinese propaganda in the wake of the Tiananmen Square debacle.

Indeed, it is related to Tiananmen Square.

Michael Stipe talks as if he wishes he could abandon this song, but he's too loyal to his fans to completely disavow it. "I wouldn't say I'm embarrassed by the song, but it has limited appeal for me," he said, pointing out he meant it to be ironic commentary. To further the artistic misunderstanding, Stipe says he adapted the phrase "Shiny Happy People Holding Hands" from a Chinese propaganda poster issued just after the Tiananmen Square massacre.

http://moopigwisdom.blogspot.com/2009/09/abandoned-songs-hunhjh.html