State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi visited the site of the bombed Chinese Embassy in the former Yugoslavia and mourned the three martyrs sacrificed in the bombardment, in Belgrade on May 18.

The memorial ceremony started at 3:30 pm. Zhao and Milosav Miličković, Serbian state secretary of the Interior Ministry, attended the ceremony. Serbian guards laid wreaths in front of the monument, and the whole Chinese delegation stood silently, mourning the three martyrs – Shao Yunhuan, Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying.

History should never be forgotten. On May 7, 1999, the US-lead North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombed the Chinese Embassy in the former Yugoslavia, killing three reporters, injuring over 10 people, and destroying the embassy buildings.

Twenty years have passed. Today, the historical trend of peace and development is unstoppable, but power politics and hegemonism still arise from time to time, seriously damaging global stability and security, and international fairness and justice. Only when people from all countries work together to build a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, can security and prosperity shine on our common homeland.

A Chinese culture center has been built on the bombing site, symbolizing China-Serbia friendship. Under the guidance of the two countries’ leaders, the brotherhood between China and Serbia will make new contributions in maintaining global peace and development, and safeguarding international justice and fairness.

Other Chinese and Serbian senior officials also attended the memorial ceremony.