Chinese headquarters hit
by nato's missiles, u.s operation begins and big explosion heard. NATO missiles plowed into the chinese
embassy in belgrade during a ferocious
allied bombardment friday that also
struck the interior ministry and army
headquarters and again plunged the
capital city into darkness. The official new china news agency
reported that two staff members were
killed, two were missing and more than 20
injured.
The strike on the embassy which nato
acknowledged and said it regretted early
today, seemed likely to complicate
western efforts to secure a diplomatic
settlement to the Kosovo conflict and to
raise new strains in u.s chinese
relations. The government in beijing
which has opposed the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia since it began 46 days ago is
a permanent member of the un security
council which means it could veto the
peace framework the united states, its
leading allies in russia agreed to
thursday and want the council to approve.
China called the council members into
session today to consider the embassy
bombing but the united states said the
air strikes would not stop. Reuters news
agency reported earlier friday nato cluster bomb struck
a residential neighborhood in hospital
grounds in knees Yugoslavia's third
largest city killing at least 14
civilians and wounding 30 others.
NATO said later that it was highly
probable that a weapon went astray and
hit civilian buildings during an attack
on a nearby airfield. Chinese television carried an extensive
report on the bombing during its new
newscast.
A somber announcer read an official
statement condemning the gross violation
of china's sovereignty. The statement said the u.s led NATO attack used three missiles from
different directions to attack china's
embassy in Yugoslavia. During the newscast embassy officials
were shown milling around the heavily
damaged building with chinese television
correspondents describing the scene of
destruction. In answer to questions of why nato would
bomb, a chinese embassy one reporter
noted that other buildings were targeted
in the general vicinity.
The chinese news agency said one of the
dead was Xiao Yunwan, one of its
reporters. Agency correspondents are government
employees Xiao was married to a chinese
diplomat, the other fatality is yet to be
identified. The agency said, there were inconsistent reports about
casualties.
The central government
statement initially said more than 20
were injured. Later in the program a
correspondent based in belgrade said
there were seven confirmed injuries.
China's ambassador to the UN Chin wasan
termed the bombing barbarian. According
to the chinese news agency, "we are greatly shocked by reports of
nato's bombing of the chinese embassy. We strongly condemn nato's act and
express our indignity," Chin Said.
Chin also said NATO should be held responsible for all
consequences. He added and repeated
china's call for an immediate halt to
the bombing.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels Alliance officials said that while each
target was meticulously planned to
minimize civilian loss of life. They
acknowledged the strike on the embassy. NATO regrets any damage to the embassy
or injuries to chinese diplomatic
personnel. A statement said what NATO called its most concentrated
attack to date on belgrade began shortly
before midnight friday rocking the city with powerful
explosions that echoed through the
streets and rattled windows.
NATO officials said targets included the Dobanov command complex a residence of
yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic
which includes a major underground
bunker complex that alliance officials
say is now the center of his command
operations. Another target was the hotel Jugoslavia, a location used as a barracks by a
paramilitary group commanded by Zelko Raznatovic better known as Arkhan.
Fire trucks converged on the two-story
chinese embassy building which was
engulfed in smoke. The embassy is in new Belgrade a modern
district that includes some government
buildings including the Yugoslav federal
building which houses the prime
minister's offices.
