Japan cuts Chinese navy tour
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TOKYO (AFP) - - Japan cancelled a tour for visiting Chinese sailors of an advanced Aegis-equipped warship due to US concern that Beijing could gather confidential information, a newspaper said Friday.
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Japanese and US officials both denied the report in the Yomiuri Shimbun, which said the Chinese naval crew had been slated to visit Japan's Aegis-equipped Kirishima warship on Friday.
The Shenzhen destroyer with more than 300 sailors is this week paying the first port call by communist China's navy to Japan in the latest effort by the Asian powers to repair relations.
The Aegis system -- seen as Japan's top line of defence against a potential North Korean attack -- has a cutting-edge radar and can launch missiles at more than 10 targets at one time.
The US military, which protects Japan under a security alliance, and the US embassy intervened to cancel the tour of the Kirishima, which is based in Yokosuka south of Tokyo, the Yomiuri said, quoting unnamed sources.
Kyodo News, in a similar report, said that the defence ministry decided to show the Chinese visitors a supply ship instead.
US embassy spokesman David Marks denied the reports, saying it was up to Japan to decide to offer tours of its navy, which the officially pacifist nation calls the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).
"Neither US forces in Japan nor the US embassy in Tokyo asked the government of Japan to cancel a tour of a JMSDF Aegis ship by PLA (People's Liberation Army) navy officers," Marks said.
Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba also denied the story, telling reporters: "I haven't heard that we were planning to show an Aegis warship."
A defence ministry spokeswoman said the choice of ship was determined based on vessels' training schedules.
"Today the Kirishima is away from Yokosuka port, so physically they can't visit it," she said.
The United States has voiced concern this year after a Japanese petty officer allegedly obtained confidential data of the Aegis system. The officer's wife is Chinese, raising worries about possible espionage.
The United States and China have recently been at loggerheads over naval affairs.
The US Navy chief said Tuesday he was upset that China last week denied entry to Hong Kong to two small US minesweepers that needed fuel and refuge from a storm.
China also hesitated at allowing the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk to make a scheduled port call in Hong Kong. -
i find the timing most unsettling when Russia withdrew its arms control treaty with Nato, and China refusal to allow US navy port visit.
Pakistan political future in question especially with the Nuke.
a few more of these event all of us might as well take out our helmet and digg in. -
so what did USS Kitty Hawk do? sail through Tawian strait lorOriginally posted by FG42:The United States and China have recently been at loggerheads over naval affairs.
The US Navy chief said Tuesday he was upset that China last week denied entry to Hong Kong to two small US minesweepers that needed fuel and refuge from a storm.
China also hesitated at allowing the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk to make a scheduled port call in Hong Kong.
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did they?Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):so what did USS Kitty Hawk do? sail through Tawian strait lor 
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ask them come to Changi la.Originally posted by beavan:did they? -
heard on news here one.. but heard half way. dunno is after they got reject for HK or before.... cant find any news on that online here... so maybe it's talking about last time nia.. hahaOriginally posted by beavan:did they? -
a third incident reported. Very soon we would have Submarine cat and mouse game in south china sea.
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 USS 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 USS Kitty Hawk and five ships accompanying it for a Thanksgiving port call.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the denial had 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 US ship visits to the Hong Kong harbor.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said, "We will be able to work it out with them."
"This incident has not prevented us from being able to work with the Chinese. We are two very large countries, very powerful countries," she said. "This relationship is growing and maturing, and this is something that two nations should be able to work through, and I don't think escalating it every day is necessary."
Until now, the Navy has considered Hong Kong one of the sailors' favorite post of call, with about 50 ship visits per year.
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.
Prior to 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.
The Pentagon summoned a Chinese military attache to protest the decision, which the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, called "perplexing." President Bush raised the issue with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during their talks on North Korea, Iran and other issues. -
sailed back to their base in Japan, leaving their families in HK to spend thanksgiving on their own. blame the chinese government, or blame the US government?Originally posted by beavan:did they? -
Of course blame the US government. If you have not read "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" pick up a copy,.... writing style is crap, but contents are great!Originally posted by sgdiehard:sailed back to their base in Japan, leaving their families in HK to spend thanksgiving on their own. blame the chinese government, or blame the US government? -
All this because of a botak monk called the Dalai Lama......
Don't know why the West like him so much......he's just a pretender to the Tibetian Buddhist throne....
By meeting him, USA is seen as interfereing into China's domestic affairs......USA is stupid as usual, sacrificing vital relations with China over a religious monk...... -
ok confirm on news again tonight.. they DID sail through Taiwan strait after that are rejected to stop at hk..... official reason is due to storm lah.. unofficial reason is to show they are bei song lor..Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):heard on news here one.. but heard half way. dunno is after they got reject for HK or before.... cant find any news on that online here... so maybe it's talking about last time nia.. haha -
look at it from this way it was not a 1 day notice visit it was a schedule call. the chinese could have send out an earlier notice so to avoid last minutes cancelation. IF they were piss off with the US policy on Tibet.Originally posted by sgdiehard:sailed back to their base in Japan, leaving their families in HK to spend thanksgiving on their own. blame the chinese government, or blame the US government?
Pls also remember back in 97, The other reason for the regular visit was continue to establish HKG as a open city after the handover and the chinese agreed it was a matual benefit decision. -
Yes USA is stupid. continue to confront Asia countries on human right infact it does not have to. It can shut its door on morality and just focus on Trade just like clinton did.Originally posted by Dr Who:All this because of a botak monk called the Dalai Lama......
Don't know why the West like him so much......he's just a pretender to the Tibetian Buddhist throne....
By meeting him, USA is seen as interfereing into China's domestic affairs......USA is stupid as usual, sacrificing vital relations with China over a religious monk......
Can you Just flip the page to Speaker Corners and see what your fellow Singaporean writes about the region and PAP. Be glad someone who have the resources is here to help to ease the human right constraint in the region.
And a STUPID MONK who have the courage to STAND UP and said to a giant regime and said THIS IS WRONG. It is the courage of the small monk that the world is looking at.
Learn to be a Human.