Posted on 02/17/2010 7:19:35 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Kong Wednesday amid heightened tension between Washington and Beijing over arms sales to Taiwan and President Barack Obama's plan to meet the Dalai Lama. The stop by the USS Nimitz, one of the world's largest warships, came just weeks after China said it would suspend military and security contacts with the United States over Washington's 6.4-billion-dollar arms package for Taipei.
It also coincided with a trip to Washington by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama for a long-awaited meeting with Obama, a visit that has infuriated Beijing which has denounced him as a separatist bent on independence for his Himalayan homeland.
Rear Admiral John Miller, commander of the nuclear-powered carrier, said China and the United States could work together on areas such as maritime security even if they disagreed on other issues.
China's assistance in fighting piracy off the coast of Africa was an "excellent example of what like-minded nations can do in various parts of the world," Miller told a press conference held on the ship.
"There are a lot of areas where nations that don't always agree on a variety of issues can find agreement," he said.
"To ensure stability in the maritime environment, any nation can be part of that."
Miller played down the significance of the port call amid the simmering Sino-US tensions: "For us, this is a routine port visit. I don't know this was any different from any other visit we have made."
The navy commander said he was "not really sure" if Chinese naval officials had been invited aboard the ship.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
BEIJING (AP) U.S. Geological Survey: 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocks China-Russia-North Korea border region.
~Hmmm makes one wonder How Inconvenient
The Nimitz has had almost back to back deployments and the last one extended. They are due back to San Diego
ping
I cannot forgive big business for pushing Most Favored Nation status to China nor will I forgive congress for passing it.
I have fond memories of a port call in Hong Kong...it was 1973 aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43).
Yea true they did. But here is something people are forgetting. It under the British Flag which till 13 years ago controlled Hong Kong as a British Colony until 1997. Going there now is just begging to surrender more military secrets.
Click on pic for past Navair pings.
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
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This is a medium to low volume pinglist.
BTW I believe we served on two properly named CV's. Naming them after well known battles and ships was well and good, but best was naming them for where Naval Aviators made their names shine. I think the name USS Yankee Station sings.
Naming them after politicians, even ones who served on carriers, is sub-optimal.
The sooner we can get a POTUS and congress back in office who understand as much the far better off we will be as a nation in almost every aspect.
Before China as far as I know carriers only pulled into one other Communist nation for liberty and that was the former Yugoslavia which was nor a Warsaw Pact alliance which was of no threat to us in any way. But then again I think using the UAE as a shipyard is foolish also. It's a gross breach of national security IMO. Surrendering our assets in the PI and moving them to UAE was insane. Filipino's as a U.S. territory at least held an allegiance and loyalties to the U.S. Many were actually members of the US armed forces {Navy} when I was in.
Mmmmm. Porn.
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