U.S. carrier battle group visits H.K. after military exercise

Asian Political News, August 27, 2001

HONG KONG, Aug. 20 Kyodo

A U.S. aircraft carrier battle group on Monday kicked off a six-day port call in Hong Kong following a military exercise with another carrier in the South China Sea.

The flattop Constellation and six other warships with more than 6,500 crew members arrived in Hong Kong just days after China rejected a request for a U.S. maritime surveillance plane to land in the territory for a training mission.

''The battle group is wrapping up a routine six-month deployment that included operations in the Arabian Gulf,'' the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said on its Web site.

The six other ships are the destroyers Benfold and Kinkaid, the frigate Thach, the support ship Rainier, the submarine Santa Fe and the stores ship Kiska.

The warships on Friday took part in a one-day ''passing exercise'' together with the Carl Vinson carrier battle group in the South China Sea, the 7th Fleet said, without specifying the exact location.

''Along with the valuable training benefits achieved during the exercise, the meeting of the two aircraft carrier battle groups on the high seas demonstrates a commitment to providing peace and cooperation in the region while preserving the right to freedom of navigation,'' the U.S. Navy said.

The exercise, which involved more than 15,000 personnel, 14 vessels, over 130 carried-based naval aircraft and more than 20 U.S. Air Force aircraft, came as the Chinese military reportedly continued its ongoing largest-ever war games in the southeastern coast, opposite Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Beijing has turned down an application of a U.S. P-3C Orion plane for a ''routine training and orientation to and from Hong Kong'' last week.

On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi confirmed the rejection, saying applications of foreign military planes or military vessels to visit Hong Kong have been handled on a case by case basis, taking into consideration ''related factors.''

But Sun, who was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency, did not specify or elaborate on what those ''factors'' were.

China has been exercising its discretion in granting or denying permission for foreign military ships and aircraft to visit Hong Kong since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in July 1997.