Xi Jinping in Belgrade on the eve of the anniversary of the American bombing of the Chinese embassy

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Serbia on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the deadly US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, shedding light on the event that sparked anti-American protests in China and contributed to Beijing’s distrust of NATO, writes Bloomberg.

The Chinese leader will come to Belgrade around May 7, Bloomberg learned from anonymous sources.

During the NATO aggression against FR Yugoslavia in 1999, US missiles killed three Chinese journalists in an attack that the White House later called a “mistake”.

The portal assesses that it was the bombing of Belgrade that brought Russia and China closer together and created a partnership that has since strengthened and worries the West.

By visiting a European country that has not imposed Western sanctions on Moscow, Xi will “make it clear that China will stand by Russia and deepen its partnership,” Neil Thomas, China Policy Fellow at the China Society Asia Policy Center, told Bloomberg. analysis”.

The deputy Chinese ambassador to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, recently recalled the NATO attack on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade at the UN Security Council meeting, calling it a “terrible violation of China’s sovereignty.”

As the agency reminds, after the bombing, thousands of demonstrators across China gathered around the embassies and consulates of NATO member states, and some carried burning American flags. Many Chinese believe the attack was deliberate.

Let us remind you that on May 7, 1999, during the bombing, among many objects throughout Serbia, the target was the Chinese embassy, ​​at which the American bomber fired three missiles. Three Chinese journalists were killed, and twenty people were wounded.

A memorial plaque symbolizing the friendship between the two nations was placed at the site of the bombing, and the Cultural Center of China was opened in the renovated building, reports RT Balkan.