15 years since NATO airstrike on Chinese embassy

15 years since NATO airstrike on Chinese embassy

"China and the Chinese people will never forget that grave moment, and images of the tragedy that took place 15 years ago are recurring in their minds," the Chinese ambassador told reporters.

"We extend our condolences to all victims of the NATO bombing, to the peoples of both Serbia and China," the ambassador said, condemning the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).

Every year, UNS representatives lay a wreath at the site where people were killed merely because they opposed the bombing and showed solidarity with Serbia, Smajlović said.

Fifteen years ago today, on May 7 1999 at 23:.45 hours, NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying, correspondents of the Guangming Daily, and Xinhua Agency reporter Shao Yunhuan, also injuring 20 people.

The embassy was targeted with three missiles, two of which hit the south section of the building - the top and the ground floors. The third missile destroyed the ground floor and the basement of the west section of the embassy, visibly marked as a diplomatic building.

Also destroyed were auxiliary buildings in the embassy's yard, as well as parked cars, with other buildings in the immediate vicinity also significantly damaged.

The United States, which led the NATO bombing campaign against the FRY, subsequently said that the alliance hit the embassy by mistake, using an outdated map of Belgrade as a reference.

In 2009, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the site as a symbol of Serbian-Chinese friendship.