NATO urged not to create divisions

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is led by the United States, should reflect seriously on the crimes it has committed and stop creating divisions and turmoil, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday.

Wang made the remarks at a daily news conference one day after the 24th anniversary of NATO's bombing of the former Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The attack on May 7, 1999, killed three Chinese journalists and wounded more than 20 Chinese diplomatic personnel.

Serbians and Chinese people gathered at the site of the bombed former Chinese embassy in Belgrade on Sunday to mark the anniversary, according to Xinhua News Agency.

China's Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, Serbian Minister of Sport Zoran Gajic, and dozens of officials and civilians laid wreaths and flowers at the memorial monument to honor the victims, Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua, and Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying of the Guangming Daily newspaper.

"The Chinese people will not forget their sacrifice for truth, equity and justice. Nor will they forget the US-led NATO's barbarous crime," Wang said.

NATO has claimed it is a regional and defense organization, but has kept hyping up regional tensions and creating bloc confrontation, Wang said.

Since the end of the Cold War, the US-led NATO has "sparked one conflict after another around the world," the spokesman said, adding that since 2001, the organization has waged or participated in wars that have killed hundreds of thousands and displaced tens of millions of people.

More recently, the bloc triggered high vigilance among Asia-Pacific countries by continuing to exert its influence in the region, stoking bloc confrontation and disrupting regional peace, the spokesman said, urging NATO to renounce the Cold War mentality and take concrete actions to contribute to peace in Europe and the world.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn