Posted on 09/18/2006 7:07:41 PM PDT by radar101
SAN DIEGO – More than 300 Chinese and Chinese-Americans cheered and waved the two nations' flags Monday morning on a pier at San Diego Naval Base, a noisy greeting for two Chinese navy ships making a rare visit to U.S. mainland port. Hundreds of Chinese sailors in white uniforms with blue neckerchiefs stood stiffly at the rails of the destroyer Qingdao and the auxiliary ship Hongzehu as they cruised into port.
It was only the second visit ever of People's Liberation Army vessels to San Diego, and the first since 1997.
Chinese-American dancers and drummers entertained before a pierside ceremony. Base commander Capt. D.R. Smith and Rear Adm. Wang Fushan, deputy commander of the Chinese North Sea Fleet, exchanged brief remarks.
“As soon as we arrived, we received a warm welcome,” Fushan said. “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your hospitality.”
Fushan invited visitors and the media aboard the Qingdao for a tour and photographs. The Chinese sailors smiled and posed for photos.
Chinese and U.S. armed forces began a series of tentative contacts in the late 1990s, but they ended abruptly in early 2001 after a Chinese fighter jet collided with a Navy EP-3 surveillance aircraft off China's coast. The Chinese pilot died, and the U.S. crew was held prisoner for 11 days after the EP-3 was forced to land on Hainan Island.
But since last year, Pacific forces commander Adm. William Fallon has stressed closer ties with the Chinese military, a move welcomed by local Chinese-Americans.
“I think the U.S. and the Chinese should know each other,” said Frank Liu, president of the 2,000-member San Diego Chinese Association. “I'm hoping the United States and China can have a better relationship.”
Anyone know the ticker of a company specializing in Internment Camps....?
...and we were wrong to get the Japanese away from the West Coast during World War 2. Yep...sure we were...
Espionage?
FDR?
Can anyone provide a link to that 7-year-odd story about the PRC general that casually threatened nuclear destruction of LA if the US intervened on behalf of Taiwan...?
“I think the U.S. and the Chinese should know each other,” said Frank Liu, president of the 2,000-member San Diego Chinese Association. “I'm hoping the United States and China can have a better relationship.”
How sadly naive.
I would far rather have the Chinese as our friends than our enemies as long as we don't compromise our principles. They are going to be the next superpower without question.
The Dims will save America.
"Fushan invited visitors and the media aboard the Qingdao for a tour and photographs. The Chinese sailors smiled and posed for photos."
Well obviously they are NOT going to let these chinese fellas ashore for liberty, cuz they may not have enough ship's company to get underway in the morning. A few late nights of watching "Girls Gone Wild" commercials and the lads will know that something else is beyond the red dragon's reach.
Don't kid yourself, the Chinese won't be our friends.
Hey, I'm all for being polite. And these sailors are just doing their job. But how many college kids can you tolerate getting driven over, how many religious minorities should you tolerate getting their ORGANS HARVESTED...?
Another thing I can't understand --Chinese Americans RAN AWAY FROM CHINA...! They got rich HERE..!
They seem like the last people who should be welcoming Chinese warships.
nothing so heartwarming as watching American citizens wave the flag of a hostile foreign nation. at least Mexico doesn't have nuclear weapons pointed at us.
I'm not big on Chinese navy uniforms but if I was comparing to western uniforms I'd say there sure are a high percentage of officers on that ship...don't trust the peasants out of the country?
Friday January 7, 2000: Author of Chinese Threat to Nuke L.A. to Visit US
Your Jedi skills are most impressive...!
Didn't Admiral Yamamoto attend Harvard at one time?
"Taiwan is a matter of vital interest to us," Xiong told Freeman. Then the general warned that the days when China could be intimidated by America's overwhelming military power were over. "You could do that then because you knew we couldn't retaliate. Now we can. In the end, "
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