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http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/China_Denies_Kitty_Hawk/2007/11/21/51318.html
China Denies USS Kitty Hawk Thanksgiving in Port
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thousands of U.S. sailors expecting to spend Thanksgiving in Hong Kong were
still on their ships Wednesday, waiting for permission to enter Hong Kong
waters, U.S. and Hong Kong officials said.
The USS Kitty Hawk and its support ships had been expected to arrive in Hong
Kong on Wednesday morning for a five-day visit, but they were delayed due to
problems with "administrative arrangements," the U.S. consulate said in a
statement.
Hong Kong's Marine Department, which handles logistic arrangements for ships
docking in Hong Kong's deep-water port, said Wednesday it had not yet
received any documentation clearing the arrival of foreign military ships.
Foreign warships must get diplomatic clearance from China's Foreign Office
in Beijing before entering Hong Kong waters. The documentation is then
passed to Hong Kong's immigration department and then finally to the Marine
Department. It wasn't immediately clear where the delay happened.
U.S. officials would not say how many of the battle group's nine ships and
up to 8,000 sailors were awaiting clearance to enter Hong Kong.
Plans had been arranged for many of the sailors to have Thanksgiving dinner
on Thursday with American families living in Hong Kong, Joan Meccariello,
chair of the Servicemen's Guide Association in Hong Kong told The Associated
Press.
The 46-year-old USS Kitty Hawk, which is based in the Japanese port city of
Yokosuka, is the only U.S. aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad.
The diesel-powered ship will be decommissioned next year and replaced by the
nuclear-powered USS George Washington.
China Denies USS Kitty Hawk Thanksgiving in Port
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thousands of U.S. sailors expecting to spend Thanksgiving in Hong Kong were
still on their ships Wednesday, waiting for permission to enter Hong Kong
waters, U.S. and Hong Kong officials said.
The USS Kitty Hawk and its support ships had been expected to arrive in Hong
Kong on Wednesday morning for a five-day visit, but they were delayed due to
problems with "administrative arrangements," the U.S. consulate said in a
statement.
Hong Kong's Marine Department, which handles logistic arrangements for ships
docking in Hong Kong's deep-water port, said Wednesday it had not yet
received any documentation clearing the arrival of foreign military ships.
Foreign warships must get diplomatic clearance from China's Foreign Office
in Beijing before entering Hong Kong waters. The documentation is then
passed to Hong Kong's immigration department and then finally to the Marine
Department. It wasn't immediately clear where the delay happened.
U.S. officials would not say how many of the battle group's nine ships and
up to 8,000 sailors were awaiting clearance to enter Hong Kong.
Plans had been arranged for many of the sailors to have Thanksgiving dinner
on Thursday with American families living in Hong Kong, Joan Meccariello,
chair of the Servicemen's Guide Association in Hong Kong told The Associated
Press.
The 46-year-old USS Kitty Hawk, which is based in the Japanese port city of
Yokosuka, is the only U.S. aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad.
The diesel-powered ship will be decommissioned next year and replaced by the
nuclear-powered USS George Washington.
