Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry. Photo: CFP

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday said NATO's act of aggression will never be forgotten by the Serbian people, the Chinese people and the people around the world, amid the bitter 23rd anniversary of the Yugoslavia bombing in 1999 and NATO's latest smear.

On March 24, 1999, NATO started a 78-day bombing of Yugoslavia, causing thousands of casualties including three Chinese citizens, and displacing hundreds of thousands. Twenty-three years on, the US-driven NATO did not stop its expansion and aggression, fanning the flames on the Ukraine crisis and pressing China with groundless accusations. 

On Thursday, NATO heads of state and government issued a joint statement after an extraordinary summit, in which NATO leaders called on all states, including China, to abstain from supporting Russia's "war effort," and to refrain from any action that helps Russia circumvent sanctions. They also said China is engaged in spreading lies and misinformation to support Russia. 

Concerning accusations, a spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU said on Friday that they are made by those who fan the flames to stir trouble. "Lies shall always remain lies, and what is false cannot become true."

The bombed Radio Television Serbia (RTS) building is seen in Belgrade, Serbia, March 21, 2022. In Belgrade, there are many scars left by the NATO bombings. The NATO bombings of Yugoslavia started on March 24, 1999.Photo:Xinhua

As a Cold War remnant and the world's largest military alliance, NATO follows an outdated security concept. It has been expanding its geographical scope and range of operations and using Cold War tactics to provoke bloc rivalry.

Ironically, on the 23rd anniversary of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia, NATO convened a special summit to discuss the Ukraine crisis. "Have the US and NATO reflected on the root cause of the Ukraine crisis? What responsibility should they bear for this? " asked Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday.

NATO and the US have no right or qualification to act as judges until they reflect on their crimes against the people of Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan, Wang said. "Such an act of aggression by NATO will never be forgotten by the Serbian people, the Chinese people and the people around the world." 

"We always believe that bloc confrontation and seeking absolute security will precisely lead to the most insecure consequences," Wang said. "The US and NATO should be talking to Russia, not fighting a new Cold War."  

There should be no double standards in handling international relations. Ukraine's sovereign security should be maintained, Russia's legitimate security concerns should be respected, and peace and stability in Europe should be safeguarded, Wang said. "One cannot claim to maintain peace while wantonly destroying peace."

The US sanctioned 328 Duma members and multiple Russian elites in finance and defense, after a meeting with NATO leaders on Thursday. Wang said the escalation of the conflict will only cause more casualties, while the escalation of sanctions will ultimately harm the interests of ordinary people.  

Analysts said that NATO was trying to prevent China from taking advantage of the opportunity to develop while suppressing Russia, and NATO's discrediting China shows a sick bloc politics and Cold War mentality.

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday that NATO has not reflected on its evil behavior against China in 1999 at all, but intends to smear and marginalize China.  

On May 9, 1999, the US-led NATO brazenly attacked the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia with missiles, resulting in the death of three Chinese journalists and many injuries.

Li said NATO showed its arrogance and ambition of strengthening itself by creating crisis and turbulence. The expert said touching on China means the bloc's attempt to expand to a global NATO. 

NATO is a tool of the US to achieve hegemony. However, it is also an instrument that the US built in Europe so that Europe can never truly integrate and exercise strategic autonomy, said Li. "Although there are many European members, the so-called coordination between the US and Europe in NATO is an actual relationship between master and servant, not an equal." 

This inequality means that NATO is a stumbling block to the establishment of a mutually beneficial and balanced relationship between China and European countries, said Li.

"We uphold justice, seek peace and have a long-term vision," said Wang Wenbin. "We oppose groundless accusations and suspicion against China, and will not accept any pressure or coercion. Time will prove that China's position is on the right side of history. "