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BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States 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 attack, the U.S. Embassy said Tuesday.
Washington last week "transferred $4.5 million for the people who were injured and the families of those killed in the mistaken bombing of the Chinese Embassy," an embassy official said.
State Department legal adviser David Andrews also wrapped up two days of "useful and productive" talks with the Chinese Foreign Ministry over compensation for damage to each other's diplomatic missions, the embassy said.
NATO bombs destroyed the Chinese mission on May 7 during the alliance's war against Yugoslavia over Kosovo. Three Chinese were killed and 27 wounded.
The bombing sparked nationwide protests by Chinese students and other angry citizens, many of whom hurled rocks and flaming projectiles at U.S. missions in China.
"The U.S. side presented a detailed explanation of the damages to its embassy and consulate properties and asked a series of questions regarding the Chinese claims," the embassy said in a statement.
"Andrews described the talks as 'useful and productive' and said that he would return to Beijing in the near future to resume the discussions," it said.
The U.S. consul-general's home in the southwestern city of Chengdu was burned and windows of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing were smashed. The nearby British Embassy was also damaged.
The embassy official declined to say how much the United States or China was seeking for damage to their respective missions.
Agreement on compensation for damage to each other's missions could pave the way for the two sides to reopen talks on China's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
It was unclear whether China would stick to its demand that those responsible for the bombing be punished as a precondition for WTO talks to resume.
"The U.S. has been saying for quite some time that they're willing to start WTO talks when the Chinese side indicates a willingness," the U.S. Embassy official said.
Beijing has refused to reopen WTO talks with Washington until China receives a satisfactory explanation for the bombing.
It rejected as "unconvincing" U.S. explanations that the bombing was an error stemming from bad intelligence. China's official media labeled the bombing a deliberate attack.
The United States has apologized for the bombing.
Andrews is scheduled to leave for Hong Kong Wednesday.