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 fol-
lowing 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 subse-
quent demonstrations at the United States embassy and
other facilities in China.
Whereas military forces of the United States acting in con-
junction with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) during Operation Allied Force accidentally
dropped at least three precision-guided bombs on the Chi-
nese 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 em-
bassy, located 200 yards from the Yugoslav Federal Di-
•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 tar-
geting the Chinese embassy went undetected because the
address was checked against outdated maps and data-
bases, 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 Chi-
nese Government controlled press;
Whereas it is reported in the New York Times that on May
10, 1999, marchers were ushered by Chinese police offi-
cers 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 em-
bassy in Beijing, unable to leave because adequate pro-
tection 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 Consul-
General’s residence in Chendu;
•HCON 157 IH
Whereas the Chinese Government security forces did not pre-
vent the Consul-General’s residence from being set afire
and burned down;
Whereas the Chinese Government security forces did not pre-
vent the consulate in Guangzhou from being set afire;
and
Whereas protesters were not stopped by Chinese authorities
from throwing rocks, pieces of pavement, molotov cock-
tails, gasoline bombs, paint, and other debris at American
facilities throughout China: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That neither the United States, nor NATO,
should reimburse the Chinese Government for the acci-
dental damage of their embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia
unless the United States is reimbursed for the damage of
its government facilities in China.
Æ