Global Policy Forum

By Misha Savic

A senior Chinese leader joined Yugoslavia's President Slobodan Milosevic in accusing the U.N. mission in Kosovo of tolerating "genocide" against non-Albanians and urged the withdrawal of the NATO-led peacekeeping force.

In a joint statement issued late Monday, Milosevic and Li Peng, the second-most powerful figure in the Chinese Communist Party, denounced what they called "systematic" violations of the U.N. Security Council resolution establishing the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo last year.

"Under the authority of the United Nations, genocide against the Serb people and other non-Albanians is being carried out," the statement said, adding that the NATO-led peacekeepers "have not fulfilled any of their tasks and therefore should be withdrawn." It also called for an end to U.S.-led efforts to isolate Yugoslavia while Milosevic remains in power, saying that "policies of pressure ... must be abandoned."

China and Russia, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have sought to maintain and expand links with Belgrade despite Milosevic's international isolation and his indictment by the U.N. war crimes tribunal. Russia, however, maintains troops in Kosovo as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force and last week agreed to keep them there for at least another year. China has no troops in Kosovo.

Earlier Monday, Li, who served as China's premier during the 1989 crackdown on the democracy movement at Tiananmen Square, denounced last year's NATO bombing campaign as a violation of international law and praised Yugoslavia for its "heroic" defense against the Western alliance.

In a speech to the Yugoslav parliament, Li called the NATO air campaign, launched to force a halt to the Milosevic government's crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, a "flagrant violation of international law and norms" and a blatant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country. "Yugoslavs made a heroic defense and defied the pressure of powerful countries," said Li, who arrived Sunday for a three-day visit. "What good that war has done is a question for the international community and for most European countries, especially those involved." Li said that although fighting in Kosovo has ended, "Kosovo's problems are not solved. Ethnic conflicts are far from easing and the question of refugees is still acute. The Balkan region is far from peace and stability."

Throughout the months of diplomacy leading to the 78-day air campaign, China strongly opposed international threats against Yugoslavia, claiming the crackdown in Kosovo was an internal matter. China has suppressed dissent in Tibet and by ethnic and cultural minorities in other parts of its own territory and traditionally opposes multinational involvement in what it considers internal crises.

China's interest in improving relations with Yugoslavia intensified after U.S. jets mistakenly attacked the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese citizens. Belgrade has responded to Beijing's overtures. After a red-carpet welcome for Li at Belgrade's airport Sunday, the Yugoslav parliament convened to hear his address, which was broadcast live on state television. Echoing China's position on Taiwan, parliament speaker Milomir Minic said Yugoslavia supports reunification "of all parts of Chinese territory" and expressed hope that "Taiwan will soon be rejoined to the motherland." China considers Taiwan its breakaway province.

After Belgrade, Li is to visit Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.