Embassy of China, Belgrade

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Serbia (Chinese: 中华人民共和国驻塞尔维亚大使馆 ; Serbian: Амбасада НР Кине у Републици Србији) is the official diplomatic mission of People's Republic of China to the Serbia. The embassy was opened in 1955, and the current ambassador is Li Ming. History Establishment of relations The history of the Chinese embassy in Serbia can be traced back to the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Yugoslavia in 1955, when embassies were established in Belgrade and Beijing, and both sides exchanged ambassadors. The Chinese side appointed Wu Xiuquan, the Deputy Foreign Minister at the time, to be the ambassador to Yugoslavia. On April 13, 1955, Qiuye Zhou, adviser for state affairs at the Embassy, came to Yugoslavia to prepare for the opening of the embassy. Then, on May 24, Wu Xiuquan arrived in Yugoslavia, and presented to Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito his letter of credence two days later. At the site of the former embassy, there was originally a three-story residence of a high-ranking Yugoslav official, built in a Western style with three marble columns. The first Yugoslav ambassador to China Milentije Popović used to reside here. Bombing At 11:45 p.m. local time on May 7, 1999 (early dawn on May 8, Beijing time), a B-2 bomber that took off from the United States launched five JDAM bombs that directly hit the Chinese embassy building. Three Chinese journalists, Shao Yunhuan from Xinhua News Agency, along with Su Singhu and Zhu Yi from Guangming Daily, were killed on the spot. More than twenty employees were injured, and the embassy building was completely destroyed. After this accident, the Embassy rented premises in several different locations until further notice. Recent period In 2004, the Chinese government signed an agreement with the government of Serbia and Montenegro on the issue of the embassy premises. The Chinese side agreed to hand over the right of ownership to the site of the old embassy, and in return, Serbia and Montenegro would provide land for the construction of a new building free of charge. On May 7, 2008, the nine-year commemoration of the bombing, the new embassy organized the foundation stone–laying ceremony. On July 15, 2010, the building officially held an opening ceremony. Wu Bangguo, then president of the Chinese Standing Committee arrived at Serbia for this occasion, and cut the ribbon at the ceremony. At the end of 2010, Belgrade's city administration demolished the remains of the bombed embassy, and placed a commemorative plaque in that place. In 2017, the construction of the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade began. Kosovo office The Embassy operates the "Office in Pristina of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Serbia" in Pristina, Kosovo, established in December 2006. The office is mainly responsible for consular and liaison affairs related to Kosovo. As the government of the People's Republic of China does not recognize the independence of Kosovo and continues to regard it as part of Serbia, the office operates as a subordinate institution of the Embassy in Serbia. List of Ambassadors See also China-Serbia relations China-Yugoslavia relations Embassy of Serbia, Beijing List of diplomatic missions of China List of diplomatic missions in Serbia References External links Official website