US Bombs Chinese Embassy in Dead of Night, Killing 3 Citizens
The United States once committed a major military blunder that led to a diplomatic disaster with China. Amid the war and escalating geopolitical tensions, a US fighter aircraft dropped bombs on Chinese extraterritorial territory, namely the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, precisely at midnight. Three Chinese nationals were killed in the incident.
The event occurred on 7 May 1999, exactly 27 years ago, when the US and NATO were bombarding Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. At that time, Serbia was the target of massive nightly air strikes using various modern fighter aircraft, including the US Air Force’s stealth bomber B-2 Spirit.
In the midst of that military operation, bombs suddenly struck the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. The embassy building was severely damaged and engulfed in flames. The explosion also damaged several surrounding buildings.
Initially, the attack was thought to be part of NATO’s operation targeting a former Yugoslav arms agency headquarters near the embassy area. That facility was accused of selling weapons technology to countries deemed “rogue” by the US. However, after verification, a shocking fact emerged. The bombing target was wrong and instead hit the Chinese Embassy.
The mistake immediately triggered great anger from Beijing. According to a report by The Guardian (9 May 1999), around 10,000 people took to the streets and held protests in front of the US and British Embassies in Beijing. The crowd accused NATO of being responsible for the tragedy.
China’s President at the time, Jiang Zemin (1993-2003), was reportedly furious and condemned the attack as barbaric. The wave of protests also spread to other countries with Chinese communities.
On the other hand, NATO countries tried to distance themselves and stated that the attack was carried out directly by the US military. The mounting international pressure eventually forced Washington to admit the mistake.
In a CNN International report (10 May 1999), President Bill Clinton (1993-2001) expressed apologies to the Chinese government and people. He described the tragedy as something that should never have happened and ordered a thorough investigation.
“I apologise and am saddened by this incident,” said Clinton.
The investigation results later revealed the main cause of the incident. CIA Director George Tenet explained that the bombing occurred due to an intelligence error. The US military was said to have used outdated maps from 1989 and 1996 that had not been re-verified in the field.
“This initial identification error was taken as fact,” Tenet revealed, quoted from The Guardian.
As a result of the blunder, three Chinese nationals were killed on the spot. All the victims were known to be journalists. In addition, dozens were injured, including around 20 with serious injuries.
As a form of responsibility, the US paid compensation of US$4.5 million to the victims’ families and US$28 million to the Chinese government to replace the embassy building damages.
Nevertheless, many Chinese citizens considered the punishment inadequate compared to the wounds left behind. Because the officials involved were only removed from their positions and not subjected to criminal penalties. Even, suspicions arose among the Chinese public that the attack was actually intentional, as it occurred amid escalating relations between Beijing and the US and NATO during the Kosovo War.
On this basis, the Belgrade incident became an obstacle to harmonious US-China relations. It has even been raised several times, such as in 2024, by President Xi Jinping.
“Chinese people value peace, but they will not forget and allow that tragedy to happen again,” Jinping said, quoted from Newsweek.