Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao announced in Beijing today that the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United States of America reached an agreement on December 16, 1999 on the question of compensation relating to the US bombing of the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). According to the agreement, the US Government will pay a sum of US$28 million to the Chinese Government for the property loss and damage suffered by China as a result of the US bombing of the Chinese Embassy in FRY last May. Prior to this, the two sides, on July 30, already reached an agreement on the question of compensation for Chinese casualties resulting from the US bombing of the Chinese Embassy in FRY.


Zhu pointed out that the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in FRY by the US-led NATO on May 8 this year caused heavy Chinese casualties and severe loss and damage to the embassy premises and that it was a gross violation of the universally recognized international law and the fundamental norms governing international relations. The Chinese Government promptly issued a solemn statement, expressing its uttermost indignation and strong condemnation against this barbarous act. It lodged the strongest protest, demanding that the US-led NATO take full responsibility for the incident, make public apology to the Chinese Government and people and the families of the victims, conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the incident and make public their detailed investigation report and severely punish the perpetrators, Zhu said. Under the stern representations by the Chinese Government, leaders of the United States and other NATO countries have apologized in public to the Chinese Government and people and the families of the victims for the bombing incident, the spokesman said.


Zhu emphasized that the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in FRY constitutes a serious case of internationally wrongful act by the United States and that the U.S. Government must shoulder state responsibility for its act, including making rapid, full and effective compensation to China for all the latter's loss and damage. The US Government should conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the bombing, severely punish the perpetrators and give a satisfactory account of the incident to the Chinese Government and people as soon as possible, Zhu stressed.