Sino-U.S. Relations Remain Strained Amid Investigation of NATO Embassy Bombing

Strategic Insights -

Tensions between the United States and China continued to escalate on Thursday as the Chinese government firmly rejected a U.S. investigation into the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, which killed three Chinese journalists and sparked widespread anti-American protests. U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering's report to top foreign ministry officials was deemed "unconvincing" by the government-run Xinhua news service, with Chinese leaders unable to accept the conclusion that the bombing was an accident.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chinese government and people cannot accept the conclusion that the bombing was a mistake, with the Xinhua news service calling Pickering's report "unconvincing."
  • The bombing was intentional, according to the Chinese government, with Xinhua stating that five bombs hit different parts of the embassy building with 100% delivery accuracy, indicating that the U.S. side had a detailed knowledge of the building's structure and must have conducted careful and accurate reconnaissance beforehand.
  • Pickering explained the results of the investigation to Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, citing three basic failures: flawed techniques for locating targets, a flawed U.S. database, and a breakdown in the system of checks to sign off on target selections.
  • Most Chinese citizens believe that the bombing was not an accident, with many finding it easier to believe that rogue units in the military or intelligence communities were responsible.
  • China's leaders may have concluded privately that they would not be able to sell the Pickering explanation at home, potentially triggering more violent protests.
  • Xinhua stated that the United States had been photographing, mapping, and surveying all parts of Yugoslavia long before the war, and that many people in the United States knew the locations of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade and the supply building.

Statistics:

  • Three Chinese journalists were killed in the bombing.
  • Five guided missiles were dropped by B-2 bombers flying at high altitude and speed.
  • 100% delivery accuracy was achieved by the five bombs that hit different parts of the embassy building.
  • The investigation found that multiple factors and errors in several parts of the U.S. government were responsible for the tragic mistaken bombing of the Chinese embassy.

Sources:

  • Xinhua news service
  • Thomas Pickering, U.S. Undersecretary of State
  • David Zweig, China scholar at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology