BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to European ally Serbia on Tuesday falls on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO’s air war over Kosovo.
U.S. jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on May 7, 1999, setting it ablaze and killing three Chinese nationals. Twenty other people were injured in the incident, which has burdened relations between the two powers ever since.
Xi referred to the bombing in an op-ed published in Serbia’s Politika newspaper on Tuesday, saying that “we must not forget that 25 years ago today, NATO brazenly bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia,” according to translations carried by Chinese state media.
“The Chinese people value peace but will never allow historical tragedies to happen again,” Xi added.
Xi Focus: Xi Inspects Navy of PLA Southern Theater Command
China's Top Procuratorate Promotes Law's Implementation
Railway Authorities Organize Onboard Markets, Performances in SW China
China Specifies Measures to Ease Burden of Student Loans
Scenery of Zanda county, SW China's Tibet
Communist Youth League of China Membership Reaches 73.58 Mln
Economic Watch: Beijing Sees Booming Holiday Consumption
Chinese Courts Empowered to Better Support Family Education, Protect Minors
Birds, locals in harmony under China's wetland conservation
Communist Youth League of China Membership Reaches 73.58 Mln
Xi Story: Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Chinese Civilization at Yin Ruins
'She Sports' Trend Rings in Big Biz for Brands