U.S. ships, barred from Hong Kong, now sail under China's nose

[unhappycamper]

U.S. ships, barred from Hong Kong, now sail under China's nose
By Tim Johnson | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Saturday, December 1, 2007

BEIJING — A spat over China's denial of port calls to U.S. naval vessels has led the Pentagon to deploy an increasing number of large ships to transit the Taiwan Strait in some of the most sensitive waters in East Asia.

While the U.S. Navy has explained the passage of at least seven ships through the Strait in the past nine days as the result of bad weather, it also conveys U.S. displeasure to China over its refusal to let Navy vessels dock in Hong Kong.

China has now refused entry to nine U.S. Navy vessels into Hong Kong harbor. On Friday, Navy officials said China denied permission to a U.S. Air Force C-17 flight that had been scheduled for a routine re-supply of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.

The sudden port denials have angered Pentagon officials, and baffled U.S. policymakers puzzling over the message China seeks to send.

China refused two U.S. minesweepers — the USS Patriot and the USS Guardian — from entering Hong Kong to escape bad weather on Nov. 21, then barred the USS Kitty Hawk and its escort ships and an accompanying nuclear-powered submarine from docking in Hong Kong for a long-scheduled Thanksgiving port call.

About 290 family members of Navy seamen had traveled to Hong Kong to be with the sailors during the holiday, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Steve Curry of the U.S. Seventh Fleet public affairs office in Yokosuka, Japan.


Rest of article at: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/22410.html

[madokie]

1. no one likes king george

no matter the dressing he is still and always will be, repugnant.

my sis and her husband went to hong kong last year and what they got to visit they said was beautiful. they are in their mid 70's btw

[Benhurst]

2. That'll show 'em. Way to go, George!

If they don't stop being so uppity, we'll invade and occupy. It won't cost a thing. We can pay for it with all the lead-based paint we'll be getting.

[malaise]

3. If these ships are involved in Bushco's war crimes

why should China allow them in their ports? China may become an unwilling accomplice by so doing.