Die Bombardierung der chinesischen Botschaft in Belgrad: Ursachen, Reaktionen und KonsequenzenMartin Wagener

ASIEN – Nr. 77 (2000) pp. 23–47

The bombardment of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the war over Kosovo has demonstrated how fragile the Sino-American relationship is. The consequences of this incident which could aptly be named the „Tiananmen of the USA“ will be perceived for a long time. On the one hand, Beijing has now bigger mistrust of Washington. On the other hand, the Chinese leadership considers the destruction of its diplomatic mission as a window of opportunity which can be used as a political instrument. In the light of these events, cooperation between the two antagonists of the Asia-Pacific region will not become easier. Until today, strategists of the Middle Kingdom cannot believe that the raid of an American B-2 bomber was really a tragic mistake. One reason for this is the inability of the Clinton administration to eliminate speculations about an intended attack. Indeed, many questions remain without satisfying answer: How was it possible, for example, that the CIA had only chosen one target during the whole NATO intervention, and that was just the Chinese embassy?