His comments were published in the country’s Politika daily before the Chinese leader arrived in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, on Tuesday, the second stop of his first visit to Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xi Jinping’s visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the bombing by the Alliance that killed three people. It is blamed on US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials who are said to have mistakenly prepared the map plan.
“Twenty-five years ago today, NATO brazenly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia and killed three Chinese journalists,” Xi Jinping was quoted as saying in the newspaper. – We should never forget that. The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such a tragic history to repeat itself.”
He also praised the strong friendship between China and Serbia, which, according to the president, “was created with the blood of our countrymen.”
Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Belgrade on Tuesday evening after a state visit to France that included talks with President Emmanuel Macron on a range of topics, including the war in Ukraine.
Its other two stops in Europe – Serbia and Hungary – are considered to be among the most favorable for Moscow, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, on the old continent.
China has invested billions in Serbia and neighboring Balkan countries, particularly in mining and manufacturing, and Beijing and Belgrade signed a free trade agreement last year.
Tags: visit Serbia Jinping criticized NATO
