- Chinese President criticizes NATO ahead of a visit to Serbia
- Xi Jinping welcomed the China-Serbia friendship
- Xi Jinping to visit Serbia and Hungary
Chinese President criticizes NATO ahead of a visit to Serbia
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday criticized NATO for the "audacious" bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia in 1999 and warned that Beijing "will never allow such a tragic story to repeat itself."
Xi wrote in the Serbian daily Politika before visiting the Serbian capital, Belgrade, later on Tuesday. This will be the next stop on his first visit to Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic.
His visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the alliance's bombing, which was blamed on a mapping error by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and killed three people.
"On this day 25 years ago, NATO brazenly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia and killed three Chinese journalists," Xi wrote in Politics. "We should never forget that. The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such a tragic story to happen again."
Xi Jinping welcomed the China-Serbia friendship
He also hailed the "steely friendship" between China and Serbia, which he said was "forged with the blood of our compatriots".
Xi is due to arrive in Belgrade on Tuesday evening after a state visit to France, during which he sometimes held stormy talks with President Emmanuel Macron on a range of topics, including the war in Ukraine.
Xi Jinping to visit Serbia and Hungary
Serbia and Hungary, the next two European stops of his visit, are considered among the most pro-Moscow European countries.
China has poured billions into Serbia and neighboring Balkan countries, particularly in the mining and manufacturing sectors, and last year, Beijing and Belgrade signed a free trade agreement.
Based on ELTA reports
