9 Ships + 1 Aircraft Denied ≠ A Mere “Snafu”

WASHINGTON (CNN) — China has refused nine U.S. Navy ships and one Air Force jet entry to Hong Kong in the past month, U.S. military officials said Friday.  Senior Navy officials said that Beijing denied permission for the USS Reuben James, a Navy frigate, to make a holiday port call for sailors at the end of December.  The rejection occurred last week, at the same time China refused to allow the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier battle group into Hong Kong for a Thanksgiving holiday port call.  A U.S. Air Force C-17 flight that had been scheduled for a routine resupply of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong also was denied permission to enter, Navy officials said.

Meanwhile, Beijing went ahead with plans for a high-profile port call of its own, making China’s first naval post-WWII port call in Japan.  And, given that we here are nothing if not connoisseurs of irony around these parts, we note that the Chinese guided missile destroyer Shenzhen found herself docked in proximity to the USS Kitty Hawk, who should have been in Hong Kong.  While the official Japanese response has been to hail the visit ("This is truly a new page in Japan-China relations,"  said Adm. Eiji Yoshikawa, the chief of staff for Japan’s navy) both Tokyo and Washington are deeply concerned about recent Chinese military activities, particularly its rapid improvements in missile technology, the modernization of its huge standing army and the expanding reach of its navy. 

At least one would hope so, especially on Washington’s part.  For there has been darn little out of the Administration on this and other public and not so public issues this past year where the Chinese military and China’s conduct on the world stage is concerned.  While we are the first to agree that there is a place for quiet diplomacy, all too often of late it appears that is a cover used for an Administration increasingly caught by surprise with developments in the international arena outside of the Iraq-Afghanistan-Iran triangle (and sometimes even inside there as well).  Alternately, a growing muteness from Foggy Bottom and the Five-Sided Wind Tunnel bespeaks a puzzling sense of just what is the Administration’s intentions re. China – beyond recall of toys with lead paint and tainted pet food?

Of course, there are all sorts of soothing reassurances springing from Beijing. Even as recently as this weekend from aboard the Shenzhen, Rear Adm. Xiao Xinnian said worries about China’s military growth are unfounded.  "There shouldn’t be any concern," he told a small group of reporters. "In my personal opinion, China’s effort to modernize its military is very transparent."

Why yes Admiral, of course –  it is exceedingly transparent…