JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: It was business as usual on the streets of China today, one year after a bombing thousands of miles away strained relations between the U.S. and China. CNN Beijing bureau chief Rebecca MacKinnon reports on a somber anniversary.</s>REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A solemn ceremony at dawn, students at China's top university remembering how, one year ago, U.S. warplanes bombed their nation's embassy in Yugoslavia, killing three of their countrymen and wounding more than 20 others. This student says, "Everyone knows a year ago today was a day of national shame. I'm happy to see so many people showed up to see us raise the flag." May 8th, 1999 saw an outpouring of anger outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and outside many U.S. consulates around China. Many of the demonstrators were students. A year later, all is quiet outside the U.S. Embassy. Chinese government authorities warned students in advance not to protest on the anniversary and tightened security around the embassy to keep potential demonstrators away. In Belgrade, Chinese and Yugoslav officials laid wreaths and paid their respects at China's former embassy, now a bombed-out ruin. The U.S. government insists the bombing was a mistake, has paid compensation and disciplined those it says were responsible. The Chinese government rejects the U.S. explanation, and demands a new investigation. Still, it seems the unpleasant memory of last year's bombing hasn't dampened the Chinese people's desire to do business with the United States. "The memory is still vivid in people's minds," says this office worker, "but in the long term, I still hope U.S.-China relations will remain close, because that will benefit China's long-term economic development." Feelings of wounded national pride balanced out by the more pragmatic consideration that better U.S.-China relations will help generate more of this. Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Beijing.
One Year Later, China Remembers Victims of U.S. Bombing of National Embassy in Yugoslavia