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“THE DIPLOMATIC FAIRNESS COMPENSATION RESOLUTION, H. CON. RES. 157” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1577 on July 16, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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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