ISLAMABAD – US aircraft bomb the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade killing threeChinese citizens and injuring another 20 during the NATO bombing ofYugoslavia on 7 May, 1999.
The incident sparked a major diplomatic row between China and the US. Majorpublic demonstrations were held in Beijing against the airstrike, forcingthe US embassy staff members to stay indoors.
The Chinese government called it a “barbaric attack and a gross violationof Chinese sovereignty”.
US officials however blamed human error and faulty intelligence for theincident but the explanation failed to assuage Chinese officials, whobelieved the strike to have been deliberate.
The protestors in China were only asked to disperse after US President BillClinton offered a public apology to China over the incident.