"NATO still owes Chinese people a blood debt."
This is a deafening answer given by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on February 24, 2022, when asked a question by a CCTV reporter.
The blood debt that Hua Chunying said occurred not far away 23 years ago. In 1999, the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was bombed by NATO, killing three Chinese journalists (Shao Yunhuan, Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying), injuring more than two dozen people, and destroying the embassy.
When the bad news came, the whole country grieve.
After the incident, the Chinese government and the Chinese people expressed great indignation, and the Chinese government lodged a strong protest against the US-led NATO, and the Chinese formed a demonstration procession to hold a protest in front of the US embassy.
The demonstration procession did not inflict any violence, but everyone looked at it with torches and was extremely determined, singing the "March of the Volunteer Army" and expressing the strong indignation of the Chinese people to the world with their own practical actions.
In the face of the strong indignation of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, the explanation given by the US-led NATO is extremely absurd and even more infuriating.
NATO first said that they had an accident while aiming at a target near the embassy, causing the missile to deviate from the direction, because the Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was very close to the bombing target, resulting in an accident, and the out-of-control missile accidentally bombed the Chinese embassy.
However, according to the post-mortem investigation, when five missiles attacked the Chinese Embassy from different angles, one missile may have been an accident, and five missiles were out of control at the same time, which was obviously not an accident, but premeditated.
Seeing that the ridiculous lie of using missiles out of control could not deceive the public, then US Defense Secretary Cohen changed his words:
NATO used the old map of 1992 when carrying out its mission, and the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was built after 1992, so the Chinese embassy was not marked in, causing NATO to ignore the existence of the embassy when carrying out its mission, which led to the occurrence of accidental bombing.
This reason is more stupid and shameless than the excuse of out-of-control navigation, when any tourist map of Belgrade clearly marked the location of the Chinese embassy. Even if NATO does not look at the tourist map of Belgrade, almost all US diplomats and DIPLOMATS from NATO countries have visited the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, how can they not know that there is a Chinese embassy there?
No matter how cunning the US-led NATO is and how it deceives the world, the truth is that NATO is completely premeditated to bomb the Chinese embassy, which is their hegemonic behavior.
This blood debt, as long as it is a chinese child, must not forget, one day we will get justice for the deceased.
Now, 23 years later, China is no longer the backward country that the United States once was able to bully at will, and under the struggle of countless sons and daughters of China, China has long relied on its strong economic and military strength and has a great right to speak in the international community.
"I've been in the rain myself, and I always want to hold an umbrella for others, because I know what it's like to be drenched in rain."
China has been wantonly bullied and humiliated by the great powers because of its backwardness, so when China has the right to speak in the world, it strives to establish a fairer and more just discourse system in the international community, and strives for fair treatment for those countries that are still lagging behind.
As time passes, and China's voice in the international arena becomes heavier and heavier, it still has not forgotten the three Chinese journalists who sacrificed their lives, and always remembers them.
One of the three Chinese journalists who died was Shao Yunhuan.
Twenty-three years later, her name is still remembered by her children, her husband Cao Rongfei has not yet married her, and her son Cao Lei has inherited her legacy and become an excellent journalist.
Shao Yunhuan was born in June 1951 in Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province, and after graduating from Jiamusi No. 1 Middle School, she was assigned to work as a worker in the Daxinganling Gagdaqi Construction Office.
In Daxing'anling, she spent nearly 3 years, and the harsh living environment and heavy labor cultivated her pine-like wind bones and mountain-like bones, casting her excellent character of perseverance and perseverance.
Opportunities are always left to those who are prepared.
In 1971, Shao Yunhuan, who performed well, was recommended by the Construction Engineering Office to study at the Beijing Foreign Chinese College, majoring in Serbian.
For this hard-won learning opportunity, Shao Yunhuan cherished it.
In order to live up to the expectations of the organization and her family, she did not miss any opportunity to learn during the school, as long as she had the opportunity, she would ask teachers and students with good grades for places she did not understand, and in her spare time, she rarely went shopping with her classmates, but chose to stay in the dormitory and study hard.
There will always be a reward for her efforts, and she studies hard and hard, and her grades are excellent.
In February 1975, Shao Yunhuan graduated with honors from the Beijing Institute of Foreign Chinese and was assigned to the Xinhua News Agency's Reference News Editorial Department to work as a Serbian translator.
Xinhua News Agency is an important news department that stands guard for the party Central Committee and the people of the whole country and collects all kinds of important information in the world, and Shao Yunhuan was assigned to work here as soon as she graduated, which shows that her achievements are really excellent, and her ability is even more outstanding.
Wang Hongqi, a colleague who worked with Shao Yunhuan in the Eastern European Group of the StaffIng Department, recalled:
"I was very impressed by the beautiful font and smooth translation of her handwriting, and I thought that Comrade Shao Yunhuan would be able to become an outstanding foreign correspondent in the future."
It's gold that shines wherever it goes.
The diligent and studious Shao Yunhuan quickly mastered the business of editing and distributing manuscripts in the editorial department, and became the backbone of the group, which was deeply valued by his superiors.
Shao Yunhuan was never afraid of challenges, let alone danger.
Since she started working in journalism, she has made a promise in her heart to speak out for justice and to shout for peace, so that China, and even the world can see fair and just reports, she can be fearless and fearless!
In September 1990, when Yugoslavia was divided and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was in full swing, Shao Yunhuan took the initiative to go to Yugoslavia as a reporter for the Belgrade branch of Xinhua News Agency, and stayed here for three years.
During this period, she went to Bosnia and Herzegovina despite the danger and broke into the coalition station to interview;
She has insisted on observing interviews in the city of Belgrade during riots and "smashing and looting"; she has twice gone to Slovenia and Croatia to interview regardless of her personal safety; she has gone to Macedonia and Montenegro alone to interview...
During the three years he worked in the South Branch, Shao Yunhuan sent back more than 500 public manuscripts, reference manuscripts, and manuscripts for some publications, some of which were rated as good manuscripts at the ministerial level of the journal or Xinhua News Agency.
Because she always goes to the forefront to collect first-hand materials, the manuscripts she writes are not only authentic, but also very deep and insightful, and are loved by a wide range of readers.
At that time, most Chinese readers relied on Shao Yunhuan's manuscripts to learn about what was happening in Yugoslavia, thousands of miles away.
In October 1993, Shao Yunhuan successfully completed his news reporting work in Yugoslavia and returned to his motherland after a three-year absence. After returning to China, because of his excellent performance in Yugoslavia and his outstanding ability, Shao Yunhuan served as the deputy director of the editorial office of Russia and Eastern Europe.
Three years later, she served as the deputy director of the second editorial office of "Reference News", mainly responsible for the editing of the "Current Affairs" edition, although the burden became heavier and heavier, she did not give up her curiosity for the truth of the news.
Shao Yunhuan has successively launched good columns such as "Ins and Outs", "A Page of History", "International Close-ups" and "Knowledge Window", which are loved by readers, and at the same time made the "Current Affairs Vertical and Horizontal" edition famous.
In March 1999, the war in Kosovo was on the verge of breaking out.
Shao Yunhuan knew that going to Yugoslavia at this time would take a great risk, but in order to let China and even the world know the truth about the events that were happening in Yugoslavia and expose the crimes committed by the US-led NATO in the peaceful land of Yugoslavia, he still disregarded his personal safety and took the initiative to ask for help, asking to return to Belgrade and go to the front line to interview and report.
In view of the fact that Shao Yunhuan had worked in Belgrade for nearly 3 years, was very familiar with the local area, and also knew many local famous people, plus Shao Yunhuan's ability was very prominent, he was very proficient in battlefield reporting, and the manuscripts were often very in-depth and insightful, so the superior finally approved Shao Yunhuan's request.
On March 24, the day after arriving in Belgrade, the UNITED-led NATO brazenly launched a war of aggression against Yugoslavia, dropping its first bomb on the peaceful land of Yugoslavia.
The news shocked the whole world, and peace-loving people all over the world expressed great indignation at NATO's acts of aggression, and they also paid close attention to Belgrade's reaction while strongly condemning NATO's shameless acts.
On the same day, Shao Yunhuan wrote her first newsletter after coming to Belgrade again with tears, "Tragic Belgrade".
In the article, Shao Yunhuan wrote:
"Spring is coming, but everyone knows in their hearts that war is approaching this peace-loving country."
The newsletter sent back by Shao Yunhuan made the Chinese people deeply realize that the war did not leave with the development of civilization, and the war still happened quietly in this world.
The shameless acts of aggression committed by NATO led by the United States have also made the Chinese people deeply appreciate what is evil and disaster.
An old man who had read Shao Yunhuan's newsletter said:
"The field diary is well written, we know what indiscriminate bombing is, we also see the fearless spirit of the Yugoslav people in fighting against nato troops, and we see the hardships of being a war correspondent in a war environment."
War is cruel and even more merciless, and whoever is in danger is likely to be in danger.
If ordinary people encounter such a war environment, let alone have the courage to stay at home, most people will choose to evacuate as soon as possible, but Shao Yunhuan did not choose to retreat, she seems to be like a retrograde, when others think about how to evacuate, she has no hesitation in choosing to retrograde and walk towards the front line of the battlefield.
At that time, when the editor of Xinhua News Agency received her manuscript, he specifically reminded her on the phone that she must pay attention to safety, but Shao Yunhuan said: "Please rest assured, I will complete the task." NATO bombing often causes blackouts, and now what I am most afraid of is that the manuscript will not be sent. ”
Not only did she not care about her own safety, but she was worried that her newsletter would not be sent out and that she would not be able to let the people of her country know the real situation in Yugoslavia.
Braving the barrage of artillery fire, rushing to the forefront with flesh and blood, and using conscience and courage to convey the voice of justice to the world, this is Shao Yunhuan, a brave war correspondent.
In Yugoslavia, a land of war, Shao Yunhuan and many war correspondents who participated in the report here reported with integrity and extraordinary courage to the whole world about what happened in Yugoslavia, calling for peace to return to the land of Yugoslavia at an early date.
At the same time, Shao Yunhuan and other war correspondents also used their words to expose to the world the disasters brought to the Yugoslav people and the threat to the world caused by NATO's atrocities, and also let the people of the world understand that in this war of aggression launched by NATO, the brave Yugoslav people did not yield, and justice was bravely resisting evil.
With NATO's indiscriminate bombardment, Shao Yunhuan did not flinch and was not afraid, showing the world the grandeur and righteousness of a Chinese journalist.
Before her sacrifice, she spent days and nights, often going deep into the front line of the battlefield, braving the smoke of gunfire and writing a lot of news.
Her excellent works such as "NATO Air Raids on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," "What I Saw and Heard in Blood and Fire," "The Long Night Without Lights," and "I'm Sorry, I Don't Know You're Invisible" exposed to the whole world the ugly face and aggressive nature of NATO headed by the United States, and greatly encouraged the fighting spirit of the Yugoslav people in opposing aggression.
At noon on May 1, 1999, NATO launched a new round of air strikes against Yugoslavia's Kosovo, and the missile hit a moving bus, resulting in the death of 23 innocent civilians on the spot.
How could Shao Yunhuan sit idly by in such a heinous act, and she deliberately wrote a short commentary to profoundly expose NATO's brutality and hypocrisy: "How many "mistakes" will NATO still appear when NATO's air strikes are still continuing? How many innocent civilians will die in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia because of these "mistakes"? ”
Shao Yunhuan reported truthfully and in depth in Yugoslavia, making great contributions to publicizing China's principled stand of upholding justice and safeguarding peace, and to exposing the evil nature of the US-led NATO in promoting power politics and undermining world peace.
However, it was such a heroic journalist who finally died under nato bombing.
In the early morning of May 8, the US-led NATO brazenly launched an air raid on the Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and five navigations launched a deadly attack on the embassy from different angles, and Shao Yunhuan, Guangming Daily reporter Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying were heroically sacrificed in the air raid.
NATO's ugly face has once again been exposed to the world, and once again it has committed heinous crimes in Yugoslavia.
In the air raid, Shao Yunhuan's husband, Cao Rongfei( who was then serving as a first-class secretary at the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), was also seriously injured. At that time, he was hit in the eye by the exploded fragments, his face was covered with blood, and the situation was very serious.
Cao Rongfei and Shao Yunhuan have been very affectionate since they got married, not to mention the red face, not even a small quarrel, both of them love each other deeply, support each other, accompany each other, is a very enviable loving couple.
When Cao Rongfei was carried to the ambulance, the first thing he said was not to ask the doctor about his situation, but to endure severe pain and ask his colleagues around him, asking his wife Shao Yunhuan how she was and where she was.
Due to the chaotic environment and the urgency of the situation, colleagues did not know where Shao Yunhuan was, but in order to allow Cao Rongfei to receive treatment with peace of mind, they could only say that they were looking for it, and they comforted him that he would be fine.
After that, Cao Rongfei was rushed to the Belgrade Emergency Center for treatment, and after several hours of rescue by doctors, he was able to turn the crisis around.
Unfortunately, when people found Shao Yunhuan, Shao Yunhuan had already lost the breath of life and died heroically, at the age of 48.
When Cao Rongfei woke up, out of concern for his wife, his first words were to ask his colleagues how his wife was doing and where she was being sent for treatment.
At this time, colleagues already knew the news of Shao Yuhuan's sacrifice, but looking at Cao Rongfei lying on the hospital bed, everyone really couldn't bear to tell him the news that Shao Yuhuan had died, plus because Cao Rongfei's eyes were seriously injured, the doctor warned them that they must not let Cao Rongfei cry now, so the colleagues could only endure the grief in their hearts, and used white lies to deceive him that Shao Yuhuan was now safe and was receiving treatment.
However, no matter what, the news of Shao Yuhuan's sacrifice still had to be told to Cao Rongfei, and the aftermath still needed cao Rongfei to deal with. After Cao Rongfei's condition stabilized, after obtaining the doctor's consent, the colleague still told Cao Rongfei the news of Shao Yuhuan's death.
Knowing that his beloved wife had left him, Cao Rongfei was in great pain, and at this time he could no longer suppress his inner grief, holding the son next to him and crying bitterly, and the sad listener wept, and no one was willing to disturb the father and son who were suffering.
"When my mother was alive, she wanted me to be a frank and honest person, and I must live up to my mother's expectations!"
A year after Shao Yunhuan's death, her son Cao Lei wrote a letter to his mother full of longing.
In the letter, he wrote a lyric that he loved to hear:
"How familiar your voice is from afar reminds me of how kind your heart is. When will you come back to me and let me sing with you again..."
Cao Lei missed his mother very much, and he really wanted her to be by his side now, to listen to her nagging, to listen to her advice.
Although the death of his mother made Cao Lei extremely sad, Cao Lei also knew that if his mother knew what he looked like, he would definitely be very distressed, and he certainly did not want to see his depression, so he quickly turned his grief into strength and decided to inherit his mother's legacy and be a journalist who could write justice and call for peace in his writings.
Later, he was successfully admitted to the Beijing Foreign Chinese College with excellent results, and chose the same major as his mother when she attended university- Serbian language.
Today, Cao Lei has become an excellent journalist, and is trying to follow in the footsteps of his mother Shao Yunhuan and bring back fair and just news reports for China and even the world.
Cao Lei has not forgotten his mother, still always miss his mother, whenever he has spare time, he will always walk into his mother, which is also his alma mater, Beijing Foreign Chinese College, standing in front of the statue erected by the school to commemorate Shao Yunhuan for a long time, thinking about the bits and pieces of getting along with his mother when he was alive, and at the same time more determined to inherit and carry forward his mother's will.
Shao Yunhuan's husband, Cao Rongfei, has never lost half a point in his nostalgia for his wife.
23 years have passed, Cao Rongfei has never remarried, relatives and friends are worried that he will be very lonely in the future, so they want to introduce him to an old wife, so that they can also take care of each other, and they will not be lonely in their later years.
In the face of the kindness of relatives and friends, Cao Rongfei did not think much about it, and refused one by one.
In his heart, whether it was before or later, his wife had and only had one, and that was Shao Yunhuan.
His love for his wife has never diminished because of her death, but has become deeper and deeper.
Everything about his wife Shao Yunhuan in the family, Cao Rongfei is carefully protecting.
He kept his wife's belongings intact in a box and often took them out to clean up. Whenever he misses his wife, he will often take it out, look at the relics and recall the bits and pieces of living with his wife, and often recall the memories and burst into tears, which makes people very sad.
The desk where Shao Yunhuan worked, Cao Rongfei was also carefully caring, and the office supplies on the desk were all placed one by one in accordance with Shao Yunhuan's habits before his death, as if his wife was still at home.
In distant Yugoslavia, on the battlefield full of artillery fire, a weak woman who was nearly half a hundred years old, for the sake of justice in her heart, disregarded dangers, overcame many difficulties, went deep into the front line of the battlefield, used the facts she had seen with her own eyes, brought back the truth on the battlefield of Yugoslavia for the world, and ruthlessly exposed the heinous crime of the UNITED-led NATO in killing innocents in Yugoslavia.
She cried out for peace and wrote for justice until the last moments of her life.
Us hegemonism can kill our compatriot Shao Yunhuan, but it cannot silence the voice of justice of Chinese journalists.
One Shao Yunhuan fell, and countless Shao Yunhuan stood up!
Inheriting Shao Yunhuan's legacy, they disregarded their own safety and went deep into the battlefield fronts around the world to bring back the fairest and most just true reports for China and even the world, and used their own words to shout for justice and peace.
Shao Yunhuan's achievements will be recited among peace-loving people throughout China and the world;
Her name will forever be engraved in the annals of Chinese history.
Today, Shao Yunhuan's name has been used to name the primary school she once attended, and a statue of her has been erected at the Beijing Foreign Chinese College where she once attended. Her spirit will always inspire the many journalists who have entered or are about to enter dangerous areas to bring back fair and impartial coverage to the world.
Shao Yunhuan has written a brilliant and magnificent life epic for the world with a short life of 48 years, although Shao Yunhuan has passed away, but the spirit will always exist, she will always live in the hearts of every Chinese and every peace-loving person in the world.
The martyrs are endless, and human justice will last forever.