In 1999, the people of the whole country were shocked by the news that three journalists were killed in the incident, but the main culprit, NATO troops, was unapologetic about it, and only used the two words "accident" to put it mildly. This was the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, which shook the world, and it was also the so-called "accident" in the mouth of the United States, which woke up the Chinese at that time. Because this is a tragedy that 1.4 billion Chinese will never forget, and it is also the great pain caused by NATO to the Chinese people. So why is NATO bombing our embassy? On 24 March 1999, the US-led NATO bloc launched 78 days of sustained air strikes against Yugoslavia under the pretext of Yugoslavia's oppression of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
The airstrikes resulted in the deaths of many innocent civilians, the forced displacement of thousands of people from their homes, and the destruction of a large number of homes and infrastructure. China resolutely opposes NATO's actions and strongly condemns them. We believe that the solution to the Yugoslav problem should be through political and diplomatic means, not through the use of force. We strongly demand that the international community respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia in order to maintain peace and stability in the region. The Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia played an important role during the war, conveying first-hand information to China and the Yugoslav people in a timely manner, and providing humanitarian assistance to Yugoslavia and the people. Therefore, as a neutral and innocent existence, the embassy should be protected by international law and diplomatic practice.
However, just two months later, at 11 p.m. on May 7, 1999, embassy staff had just finished a stressful day of overtime work and gathered in the lounge to relax. It was pitch black outside, as most of the local power supply had been damaged, and only candles could barely illuminate some places in the embassy. Pan Zhanlin noticed that some people were still using the faint candlelight to flip through books to find information, while others were tiredly sitting on the sofa and closing their eyes to rest. So he beckoned everyone to stop work and go back to the room early to recuperate. Just as the staff hurriedly returned to their rooms to get ready to rest, a loud noise suddenly came from the scene, breaking the original silence. The roar of the shells shook his ears almost deaf, and the walls of the room immediately collapsed.
Pan Zhanlin's heart was beating rapidly, and he immediately realized that the situation was not good, and quickly rushed to the lounge. It turned out that at that time, the NATO bloc actually launched 5 bomb attacks on the Chinese embassy, and these bombs actually accurately hit the lounge near the embassy. Three of the bombs hit the embassy building directly, killing three Chinese journalists. More than two dozen Chinese citizens were also injured, seven of them seriously.
The Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia suffered severe damage, and the entire embassy building, along with three floors, was razed to the ground. Fortunately, that night, the embassy staff followed Pan Zhanlin's advice and went back to their rooms to escape. If everyone had gathered in the break room, the consequences would have been even more dire. After all, "the two countries are at war without slashing". From an international point of view, the bombing of the Chinese embassy by US warplanes is actually provoking war against China. This incident has aroused strong repercussions in the international community, and China has resolutely criticized NATO and demanded that NATO give a reasonable explanation for the matter. However, the US-led NATO has lightly downplayed the incident as an accident, and this excuse is estimated to be able to coax a three-year-old child.
First of all, the location of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia is not a secret, as long as anyone who can read can easily find it on the map. In addition, the laser-guided bombs used by NATO are very accurate, how can they be "blown up by mistake"? Moreover, a large-scale operation like this is certainly not a spur of the moment or a simple mistake, but is carefully planned and well prepared. In the end, the "regret" and "apology" expressed by NATO are completely hypocritical gestures, and there is no guilt or responsibility that a major country should have. As soon as they heard the news, a wave of anger was immediately aroused in the country, and some people even organized demonstrations to express their dissatisfaction in front of the US Embassy in Shanghai. However, the United States still refuses to admit this incident and has made up all kinds of excuses that it was just a mistake.
That evening, our representatives immediately contacted the United Nations and asked for an emergency meeting in the hope of giving a clear explanation of the matter. Moreover, most countries believe that NATO's actions are a flagrant violation of international law, and the international ** has also begun to support our country one-sidedly. Not only for our country, but also for the whole world, and representatives of various countries realized the seriousness of the matter, so almost all of them attended the meeting. However, the United States has always been the same rhetoric, and our country does not buy it. They tried to ** us, and even deliberately played the role of victims, trying to save their image on the international stage.
So, why did NATO risk the world's condemnation to bomb the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia for no reason? Perhaps there are many reasons and motivations. Some people say that NATO's desire to weaken China's influence and international reputation in the Yugoslav war is to suppress China's position in the international arena. Others believe that NATO wants to test China's reaction and bottom line in the face of its own interests and security issues, and see whether China will take resolute measures. There is also a view that NATO wants to send a warning and a lesson to China that if it conflicts or confronts the United States and other Western countries, it will face serious consequences.
Whatever exactly NATO's intentions, they made mistakes. That is, they underestimated the anger and resistance of our country and people against this bombing, and also underestimated the determination and ability of our country and people to defend national sovereignty and dignity. They think they can bully and insult China at will, but they don't realize that they have touched the most sensitive and firm bottom line of the Chinese people. In fact, the root cause of all these problems was that China was not strong enough at that time. Some people say that through this bombing incident, we Chinese have been completely awakened. The bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia not only claimed the lives of three Chinese journalists and dozens of embassy personnel, but more importantly, aroused the awakening of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and made us realize that our country is not rich and strong enough to be arbitrarily oppressed.
Regardless of why the United States bombed our embassy at that time, such atrocities are absolutely unforgivable. At that time, China was in the stage of hard work and development, and the United States, the world hegemon at that time, was fully capable of bearing the losses caused by the war. What is certain is that the United States is not at all afraid of war with us. As a rising country, if we get involved in this war, it will inevitably deal a huge blow to our economic development. Therefore, given the complexity of the situation, we can only break our teeth and swallow blood in our stomachs for the time being. However, this incident has also resonated strongly with the people of the whole country, and we deeply realize that only by becoming stronger can we no longer be bullied. For the sake of long-term consideration, we had no choice but to choose the most suitable solution.
We have learned a lesson, and since then, our country has embarked on the path of development more resolutely, and after more than 20 years of silent accumulation and unremitting efforts, we have a strong economic and military strength. Today's China is no longer afraid of any hegemonist threat, and NATO owes us a blood debt that every Chinese will never forget.