China rejected third U.S. Navy ship visit

[unhappycamper]

China rejected third U.S. Navy ship visit
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 30, 2007 12:49:25 EST

WASHINGTON — The Chinese rejection of U.S. ship visits into Hong Kong is broader than initially reported, the Pentagon said Friday, revealing for the first time that a third incident had occurred last week.

According to a defense official, a request for the Reuben James, a Navy frigate, to make a New Year’s holiday stop in Hong Kong was formally denied by the Chinese last Thursday. The denial came the same day the Chinese turned away the Kitty Hawk and five ships accompanying it for a Thanksgiving port call.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the denial has not been publicly announced, said the Reuben James, based in Pearl Harbor, had made the port visit request in October.

According to the official, shortly after the Kitty Hawk was turned away, the Chinese reversed their decision and said the ship could enter the harbor, but by then the ship was too far out to sea. During that notification, the Chinese also told the Navy that the Reuben James visit was being denied. No reason was given for the refusal.

The official said the denial was both over the phone and in writing, and added that there are no other pending requests for U.S. ship visits to the Hong Kong harbor.

Until now, the Navy has considered Hong Kong one of the sailors’ favorite ports of call, with about 50 ship visits a year.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_chinashipsdenied_071130/

[MADem]

1. Fuck'em. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Guam we go....

This IS all about the Dalai Lama. They're being fuckwads. HK is a great port of call, but there's nothing worse than anticipating liberty and not getting it. I say fuck 'em. This kind of bullshit, with the sweeps, is unacceptable:

In addition to the Kitty Hawk and the Reuben James, the Chinese also refused to let two Navy minesweepers enter Hong Kong harbor to escape an approaching storm and receive fuel — an incident Navy officials said it found far more disturbing since it violates an international rule of the sea to provide safe harbor for vessels in trouble.

The minesweepers, the Patriot and the Guardian, were instead refueled at sea and returned safely to their home port in Japan.

Before the latest three incidents, the most recent port visit denial came in 2004.

China has hinted that Congress’ honoring of the Dalai Lama and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan triggered the problems, which have cast a new shadow over military relations between the two countries.

[Selatius]

2. Next time, our ships should stop in Taiwan. That should piss off Red China even more.

Because you know China wants to absorb Taiwan back into the fold.