Analysis: Why US Warships Longing to Dock at Hong Kong?

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 04, 2002

Analysis: Why US Warships Longing to Dock at Hong Kong?

The Global Times published on 4 April carried an article analysing the frequent US requests to dock its warships at Hong Kong, quoting an expert that port calls have always been a mirror of Sino-US relations.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

First US Warships Arrive in HK since Spy Plane Row

The Global Times published on 4 April carried an analysis of the frequent US requests to dock its warships at Hong Kong, quoting an expert that port calls have always been a mirror of Sino-US relations.

In the past three years the Chinese government has more than once rejected the US's port visit requests, each of them seemed linked with the highs and lows of Sino-US relations. On 18 March this year, the Chinese side turned down a request for a 5-9 April visit by the USS Curtis Wilbur, a guided missile destroyer belonging to the U.S. Seventh Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan. The rejection was obviously connected with a string of recent US acts interfering in the internal affairs of China and hurting the feelings of Chinese people. However, only ten days later, on 28 March, a spokeswoman of the US Consulate in Hong Kong confirmed the press report that the US had made another port call request.

Why do US warships so long to dock in Hong Kong? The Global Times says that for US warships, Hong Kong has been an important supply station in the Asia-Pacific area. For a long time the US, out of various considerations, has frequently arranged for warships stationed in the west Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean to dock at and visit Hong Kong.

At the beginning of 1997 China and the US reached an agreement allowing US warships to continue to visit Hong Kong for maintenance and supply after Hong Kong returned to China. According to the agreement, the US side has first to obtain China's permission, and then make arrangements for its stay such as wireless communications, vegetable supplies and a pilot boat. Statistics show in past years an average of 60 to 70 US warships visited Hong Kong annually with a crew number as much as 45,000.

The US has a report on Hong Kong situation annually, the Global Times revealed. A recent report showed that the US side is very much concerned with its Hong Kong port calls. The US attaches great importance in promoting "economic and business ties with Hong Kong, keeping judicial cooperation and routine port calls", the report stressed. In a separate chapter it gave a list of last year's rejections and said the change was "regrettable".

Many US soldiers have developed a liking for Hong Kong, a beautiful international city. After docking they have immediately headed for Wanchai, to buy some Chinese silk and cheap electric appliances, and then kill their time in bars. US soldiers are notorious trouble-makers in Japan and ROK. But in Hong Kong, under strict discipline and supervision, they have behaved themselves. Usually each of them could spend 1000 US dollars so businessmen in Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsiu like them. Whenever large US warship arrives in Hong Kong, the local press will write reports on soldiers indulging themselves in bars but not on the large ships and guns.

With China barring US port calls, a Hong Kong analyst pointed out, Hong Kong may only lose business worth millions of HK dollars, but which has virtually no impact on the Hong Kong economy as a whole. However, much inconvenience would be caused for the US fleet in the Far East region whose supply from Hong Kong is cut off.

The new request after "Wilbur" was rejected may possibly be for USS "Kitty Hawk", the Global Times quoted Hong Kong newspaper as saying. As for why the US has made the request so quickly, possibly it has wanted to see whether China has imposed an overall barring of US warships, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post pointed out.

By PD Online Staff Member Li Heng

Questions?Comments? Click here

China Bars US Warship from Hong Kong Visit

Port Call by a U.S. Warship to Hong Kong Rejected