In May 2004, a flotilla of Chinese warships sailed slowly down the length of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor in an effective show of force. Officially, the People's Liberation Army described the visit as "an event to honor the PLA Navy's 55th anniversary." Clearly, the subtext was that the People's Republic of China (PRC) was striding confidently on the world stage. This display – the first since the colony's return to China in 1997 – came as pro-democracy advocates were grumbling about Beijing's clamp-down on any appearance of self-determination for the former British colony. Two guided-missile destroyers (Shenzhen and Harbin, Sovremmenyy-class...