World IN BRIEF / CHINA : U.S. Pays Victims in Embassy Bombing

The U.S. has paid $4.5 million to victims of NATO’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and made progress on settling property damage claims stemming from the May 8 attack, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said. Washington also wrapped up two days of talks with Beijing over compensation for damage to each other’s diplomatic missions, the embassy said. The Chinese mission was bombed during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s air war against Yugoslavia. Three Chinese were killed and 27 wounded. Beijing rejected as “unconvincing” U.S. explanations that the bombing was an error. The bombing sparked protests by angry Chinese, many of whom attacked U.S. missions in China.