U.S. and Hong Kong (2008)

Annual Report to Congress - Military Power of the People's Republic of China, 2008

Department of Defense
United States of America

Office of the Secretary of Defense

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Chapter One
Key Developments

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International Military Exchanges, Exercises, and Interaction

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• Despite a tradition of allowing U.S. naval vessels to make port calls in Hong Kong, in November 2007, Beijing at the last minute denied entry into Hong Kong of the USS PATRIOT and USS GUARDIAN, two small mine sweepers, seeking refueling and weather avoidance -- a decision that is inconsistent with international custom regarding safe harbor. The following day, Beijing denied the USS KITTY HAWK carrier strike group entry to Hong Kong harbor on the day it was scheduled to arrive for the Thanksgiving holiday. The PRC's subsequent reversal of this decision following U.S. demarches came too late to be accepted by the ships of the strike group.

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• Annual Report to Congress - Military Power of the People's Republic of China, 2008 - Department of Defense (3/3/2008) (PDF file, 2.34 MB)*

 

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