China Denies Miscommunication Kept Ship Out Of Port

It's a classic he-said, she-said situation... except this one involved two heads-of-state, and plenty of firepower. On Thursday, Chinese officials denied statements last week's alleged misunderstanding -- that kept the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk from docking in Hong Kong for a long-planned Thanksgiving holiday visit -- was in fact a misunderstanding at all.

"Reports that Foreign Minister Yang said in the United States that it was a misunderstanding do not accord with the facts," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference, reports Reuters. "China approved the visit of the Kitty Hawk group to Hong Kong based on humanitarian reasons. The decision made by the US later was up to them."

That position comes as news to US officials, including President Bush... who was allegedly told by Yang Wednesday the incident had been a misunderstanding.

"The president's understanding from the foreign minister yesterday was that there had been a misunderstanding and a miscommunication," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "We are seeking clarification. Regardless, it was wrong for the ship to be turned away."

As ANN reported, China turned away the US aircraft carrier group last week, but later reconsidered -- by which time, the Kitty Hawk and its 8,000 airmen and sailors had turned away from the former British colony -- and their families who had traveled there to spend the holiday with them -- and continued on to the ship's base in Japan instead.

Many believe the incident was China's retaliation for US plans to upgrade a defensive missile system in Taiwan... speculation fueled further by China's latest posturing.

The Pentagon has launched a formal protest with China's military attache over the incident -- and another, similar encounter, in which China turned away two US Navy minesweepers seeking shelter from a storm.

"This was an unfortunate incident but we're going to move past it," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, diplomatically. "We expect and are hopeful that we will continue to have a strong military-to-military relationship with the Chinese. We believe it's important, not only in our national interest but in their national interest too."

Further clouding the issue, China's Liu denied receiving any US complaints about the incident -- but pointedly implied what China's motives were.

"We think that generally communication, talks and exchanges are progressing smoothly. Both sides have smooth communication on bilateral and international issues," he said. "But it should be pointed out that recently, bilateral relations have been interfered with and damaged by mistaken actions by the US. For examples, US leaders have met the Dalai Lama," Liu said.

China considers the spiritual leader of Tibet to be a traitor of the state.

FMI: www.navy.mil/local/cv63/, www.mardep.gov.hk