After 21 years' time, we have not forgotten

As Covid-19 is raging across the globe, China has sent a group of experts to Serbia, providing them with the support that is much needed at the moment. Watching the Chinese medical team’s arrival in Belgrade on TV reminds me of my trip to Serbia not long before the outbreak, on which I paid my respect to the two martyrs, Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying, who sacrificed their lives on that land 21 years ago.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying’s sacrifice, who are remembered as “the good reporters for our people”. A few days ago, colleagues from Guangming Daily, where the martyrs worked, came to the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing to present a flower basket in memory of the heroes. (Photo taken by Lu Chongguang / Guangming Picture)

I think of Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying whenever the name Serbia appears. Personally, I’m one of the colleagues that have known them for the longest time. We worked together for the same newspaper, and we worked hard for its glory. There will always be this special link between us that makes me shed my tears over and over for the loss.

Scenes from the past have been firmly imprinted in my mind. No one can forget that today 21 year ago, on May 8, 1999, NATO bombarded the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, which took the lives of Xinhua News Agency reporter Shao Yunhuan and Guangming Daily reporters Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying, dozens more injured, and the embassy building was devastated. When the news broke, the whole country was greatly enraged. At the Correspondents Station in Yinchuan, I was interviewed by the local media and denounced NATO’s atrocities with grief and indignation. At a symposium that followed, I spoke again in my capacity as Xu and Zhu’s colleague.

On June 29, 1999, a local exhibition in Belgrade commemorating three reporters killed. (left to right: Shao Yunhuan, Xu Xinghu, Zhu Ying)

During that time, I followed relevant news every day and was sunk in sadness and anger. I knew from the news that many familiar colleagues from Guangming had signed up to go to the frontline so that the “The Battlefield Diary” left unfinished by Xu and Zhu could be able to continue. For such reasons, I wrote two articles, “Take the Pen from the Martyrs” and “It Won’t Scare off Chinese Reporters!”, and later the third article – “Sad Memories at Xu Xinghu’s Former Residence”, which praised the spirit of perseverance and dedication, and expressed the great pain following the loss of Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying, despite knowing that words wouldn’t be of any help in comforting this grief.

Those who sacrificed for their country will never be forgotten by their motherland and people. On June 17, 2016, President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Serbia as invited. Upon his arrival in Belgrade, the first agenda was to visit the former site of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia accompanied by Serbian heads of state and government, to pay homage to the three martyrs, Shao Yunhuan, Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying.

From the news, I saw the words – “Remember our Martyrs, and Cherish Peace” engraved on the black monument in front of the ruins, and that president Xi Jinping, joined with other high-ranking leaders of the central government stand in silent tribute and present flowers for them. Tears fell down without my knowing, as I told my two colleagues who died in foreign land in my heart that their sacrifice was not forgotten.

The words “Remember our Martyrs, and Cherish Peace” is engraved on the black-colored monument stone at the old embassy site.

From then on, it occurred to me that if possible, I would also like to pay respect to the martyrs in person. Last year finally, I was lucky enough to set foot on that land which I had yearned for, and to pay a visit as an ordinary tourist to this place that was both familiar and strange to me.

On May 7, 2009, the Belgrade municipal government decided to retain the remaining parts of the former Chinese Embassy, and as a tribute to China’s valuable support at a time of hardship, a monument in front of the embassy site was erected to commemorate the Chinese journalists who died in the NATO bombing.

In 2016, the Belgrade government decided to name the street where the former Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia was located “Confucius Boulevard” and the square near that street “Sino-Serbian Friendship Square”. Meantime, China was to build a Chinese Cultural Center on the former site of the embassy, the address of which would be “No.1 Confucius Boulevard”.

After arriving in Belgrade, despite the many places I wanted to go, I insisted to visit the former site of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia first. Asking for directions all the way, I found the Chinese Cultural Center under construction without any trouble, since the local people all knew this place and were quite familiar with the newly named “Confucius Boulevard”.

The main structure of the Chinese Cultural Center had taken shape, and the statue of Confucius in front of the Center was completed. On the left side of the statue is a black stele engraved with several lines of golden words in both Serbian and Chinese, “We would like to thank the People’s Republic of China for their support and friendship during the most difficult time for the people of the Republic of Serbia, and we would like to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives.” Behind the stone monument is the old site of the Chinese Embassy. Now that the old site was demolished, the Chinese Cultural Center stood up on the ground.

At a place where the martyrs shed their blood, a Chinese Cultural Center rises from the ground – this is highly symbolic and also shows that the spirit of the martyr has sublimated. Chinese culture will take a root here and there will be more cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The “Chinese Cultural Center” in Serbia is located at the former site of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia.

I was quite relieved to see the flower baskets placed in front of the stele. Just as I was looking closer, there were a few more Chinese tourists coming to the place, paying their tribute to the three martyrs. During talks with them, I found that they all knew about that part of history and were filled with admiration, respect and condolence for the three martyrs. Knowing that I was the colleague of two of the martyrs, they all consoled that nation and people would always remember them, and it was especially meaningful for me to come and pay tribute as their colleague.

The three Chinese reporters who sacrificed on that land have deepened the friendship between the two countries with their own blood and lives. The Serbian people also regard the three Chinese martyrs as their heroes. In Serbia, I could feel the friendship of the Serbian people towards Chinese people, and I could see the profound foundation and bright prospects of communication and cooperation between the two countries.

Now, a large number of Chinese tourists travel to Serbia every year. The first 7 months of 2019 alone had 70,000 visitors from China. Many streets in Belgrade have signs in Chinese, which has become the fourth sign language after English, Russian and Serbian. Many Serbians can greet Chinese tourists in simple Chinese. It is reasonable to say that the various courtesies received by Chinese tourists in Serbia, as well as the close relations and friendly cooperation between the two countries, is somehow related with the three Chinese martyrs who sacrificed their lives there.

The motherland and the Chinese people have not forgotten the martyrs who died for this country. Since the sacrifice of the three martyrs in 1999, every year on May 7, mourning activities are held at the former site of the Chinese Embassy. Colleagues of Guangming Daily also mourn in front of the tombs of Xu Xinghu and Zhu Ying at Babaoshan Cemetery in Beijing, while more people who cannot pay tribute on site silently mourn in their hearts. Shortly after arriving in Belgrade in March this year, the Chinese medical team also made a special trip to the former embassy site to pay homage to the three martyrs.

I believe that more and more Chinese people will come to the site to pay tribute to the three martyrs, to remember history, to gain strength from their spirit, and to work hard for the prosperity of the motherland.

Contributed by Zhuang Dianyi to Guangming Daily