[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 101 (Friday, July 16, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE DIPLOMATIC FAIRNESS COMPENSATION RESOLUTION, H. CON. RES. 157

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                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 16, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H. Con. Res. 157, a 
resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that neither the United 
States, nor NATO, should reimburse the Chinese Government for the 
accidental damage of their embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia unless the 
United States is reimbursed for the damage of its government facilities 
in China.
  The State Department has sent an official delegation to China to 
discuss reparation for the accidental bombing by the U.S./NATO forces 
of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on May 7, 1999. This is 
unacceptable. Let us not forget that the Chinese retaliated against our 
accidental bombing with government sanctioned violent protests against 
American facilities in China. We should not pay for the damages done to 
the Chinese embassy in Belgrade unless the Chinese government 
reimburses us for the damages they have done to our facilities in 
China, including the United States Embassy in Beijing.
  The injustices that occurred in China on May 8-11 as a result of the 
protests that the Chinese government organized were substantial. The 
full costs of the damages have not yet been determined. Police officers 
in Bejing ushered protesters to within 25 feet of the walls of the 
United States embassy, enabling the protesters to pelt the walls with 
rocks and pieces of concrete. Our Ambassador, James Sasser, and 13 
other staff members were trapped inside the embassy for three days 
because the Chinese government did not provide enough protection for 
them to leave the grounds. The Chinese government did not even supply 
them with food. In addition the Consul-General's residence in Chendu 
was burned to the ground and the Guangzou consulate was set on fire.
  In light of these unacceptable actions tolerated and promoted by the 
Government of China, the U.S. should not reimburse the Chinese 
Government for the accidental bombing of its embassy in Belgrade unless 
China reciprocates by paying the United States for the damages they 
inflicted upon our government's property.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 157 to 
ensure that the United States is treated fairly. In insert the full 
text of the resolution to be printed at this point in the Record.

                            H. Con. Res. 157

       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 Directorate 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 Consul-
     General's residence in Chendu;
       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
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That neither the United States, nor NATO, should 
     reimburse the Chinese Government for the accidental damage of 
     their embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia unless the United 
     States is reimbursed for the damage of its government 
     facilities in China.

     

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