IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 157

Concerning the accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during

Operation Allied Force and the subsequent demonstrations at the United

States embassy and other facilities in China.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 16, 1999

Mr. GILMAN (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr.

BROWN of Ohio, Mr. ROHRABACHER, and Mr. DELAY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy

in Belgrade during Operation Allied Force and the subsequent demonstrations at the United States embassy and

other facilities in China.

Whereas military forces of the United States acting in conjunction with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO) during Operation Allied Force accidentally

dropped at least three precision-guided bombs on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on May 7, 1999;

Whereas on May 8, 1999, a joint statement by the United

States Defense Department and the Central Intelligence

Agency (CIA) stated that NATO hit the Chinese embassy, located 200 yards from the Yugoslav Federal Di-
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•HCON 157 IH

rectorate of Supply and Procurement, a weapons agency,

because of errors in detecting the location of the weapons

agency;

Whereas on May 11, 1999, the Washington Post cited a

United States official who stated that the error of targeting the Chinese embassy went undetected because the

address was checked against outdated maps and databases, which showed the location of the Chinese embassy

before it moved in 1996;

Whereas apologies by the United States Government for the

accidental bombing went unreported in China by the Chinese Government controlled press;

Whereas it is reported in the New York Times that on May

10, 1999, marchers were ushered by Chinese police officers to within 25 feet of the walls of the United States

embassy in Beijing;

Whereas protesters pelted the embassy walls with rocks and

pieces of concrete pried from the sidewalk of the embassy

in full view of Chinese Government security forces;

Whereas demonstrators on May 8 through May 11, 1999,

trapped the United States Ambassador, James Sasser,

and 13 other staff members inside the United States embassy in Beijing, unable to leave because adequate protection was not provided by the Chinese Government;

Whereas the Chinese Government did not provide food for the

ambassador and his staff;

Whereas the embassy building in Beijing was damaged with

broken windows, broken signs, and paint-stains and cars

on the embassy grounds were damaged;

Whereas 170,000 students demonstrated outside the ConsulGeneral’s residence in Chendu;
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•HCON 157 IH

Whereas the Chinese Government security forces did not prevent the Consul-General’s residence from being set afire

and burned down;

Whereas the Chinese Government security forces did not prevent the consulate in Guangzhou from being set afire;

and

Whereas protesters were not stopped by Chinese authorities

from throwing rocks, pieces of pavement, molotov cocktails, gasoline bombs, paint, and other debris at American

facilities throughout China: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That neither the United States, nor NATO,

3 should reimburse the Chinese Government for the acci4 dental damage of their embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia

5 unless the United States is reimbursed for the damage of

6 its government facilities in China.

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