11.28.07
The child acts up again
It is childish behaviour like his that gives the civilized world the shits about the ‘Peoples Republic of Cunts’ a.k.a. China.
Pissing off the US by not letting their fleet into Hong Kong for a scheduled visit on Thanksgiving is one thing, and just shows how childish these ‘people’ are. Denying ships in distress access for shelter is something that would outrage any mariner, not just me. And this is the ‘country’ we gave the Olympics to! When will we come to senses, and stop these criminals? If there was ever need for a ‘regime change’, then it would be here.
US Pacific Commander Criticizes China on Naval Issue
Pentagon
27 November 2007The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific has criticized China for denying three U.S. Navy ships access to Hong Kong Harbor in recent weeks, saying the decisions were not responsible. The commander spoke with reporters at the Pentagon via satellite from his headquarters in Hawaii. VOA’s Al Pessin reports.
Admiral Timothy Keating said the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk and its support ships were scheduled to visit Hong Kong over the American Thanksgiving holiday last week, but Chinese authorities denied permission to enter the city’s harbor at the last minute.
“This is perplexing. It’s not helpful,” he said. “It is not, in our view, conduct that is indicative of a country that understands its obligations as a responsible nation.”
The admiral says hundreds of family members of the task force’s crew had flown to Hong Kong at their own expense to meet the ship and spend the holiday with their loved ones. He says China later granted permission for the Kitty Hawk to visit, but by then the ship had changed course and it was too late to return.
Admiral Keating says another incident a few days earlier was even more disturbing. He says two small Navy ships that hunt for mines at sea were caught in an unexpected storm and asked for permission to enter Hong Kong Harbor for safety. China denied the request and the ships rode out the storm at sea.
“This is a kind of an unwritten law among seamen that if someone is in need, regardless of genus, phylum or species, you let them come in,” he said. “You give them safe harbor. So this is an area that causes us a little more concern. And that is behavior that we do not consider consonant with a nation who advocates a ‘peaceful rise’ and harmonious relations.”
Admiral Keating said he hopes the difficulty with access to Hong Kong Harbor does not continue, and he says U.S. officials will address the issue with their Chinese counterparts. He says he does not want to reduce military cooperation with China, but rather to increase dialogue and joint training in order to avoid misunderstandings in the future.
“We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to work our way around some of these aggravations, if you will,” he said. “We hope none of the aggravations are from us. We think they’re all from them. As the Olympics loom larger and the summer of 2008 comes upon us, we are hopeful that the behavior of the Chinese will be more like that of other responsible countries.”
The admiral reported he hopes to make his second official visit to China in January, during which he said he will discuss the access issue, as well as concerns he has about the expansion of Chinese military capabilities, some of which he says indicate “a little more aggressive strategic goal” than China has publicly stated.
He referred specifically to new weapons, training programs, a naval expansion and improvements in Chinese air-to-air combat skills. The admiral also repeated concerns about potential military applications of China’s space program, including its anti-satellite weapon and apparent lack of concern about the space debris the weapon’s test caused in January.
11.02.07
Navy cat honoured by crew it helped to save.
The only cat ever to be awarded the “animals’ Victoria Cross” is to be remembered at a ceremony on Thursday.
Royal Navy officers are paying tribute to Simon the cat, a rat-catcher on the frigate Amethyst which continued its duties despite being hit by shrapnel and singed during shelling raids by Chinese communists on the Yangtze River in 1949.
The cat stuck to its task despite injury during the 101-day summer siege that followed.
During the initial bombardment and subsequent rescue attempts by three other Royal Navy vessels, 46 men were killed. More than 50 men remained on board after the Amethyst was struck and ran aground on a mud bank.
The communists withheld supplies for more than three months while they used the ship as a political bargaining chip. But the black and white cat kept up morale and the crew credited it with saving their lives by protecting dwindling food stores from a rat infestation.
After the boat made a daring night-time dash for freedom in late July, news of Simon’s exploits during what became known as the “Yangtze Incident” spread.
Lt-Cdr Stewart Hett was even appointed “cat officer” to deal with the hundreds of letters of fan mail. The Amethyst returned to Portsmouth on Nov 1 1949, by which time Simon was a celebrity. But it died in quarantine a few weeks after the ship docked. The cat officially died of injury complications, but crew insisted the lonely animal died of a “broken heart”.
It was posthumously awarded the Dickin medal —the highest military accolade an animal can receive — by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).
The honour has also been granted to 62 animals including 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, three horses and 26 dogs — but Simon is the first cat to receive it. The cat was buried with full military honours at the PDSA’s Animal Cemetery in Ilford, Essex. Former naval officers will lay wreaths at the cat’s grave today, at a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the ship’s safe return.
Cdr Hett, now 81, who will lead the wreath-laying, said: “Simon’s company and expertise as a rat-catcher were invaluable during the months we were held captive.
“During a terrifying time, he helped boost the morale of many young sailors, some of whom had seen their friends killed. Simon is still remembered with great affection.”
Marilyn Rydström, the PDSA’s director general, said: “There is no doubt that Simon was special to the crew of HMS Amethyst.
“The fact his name and story live on helps ensure that the men who sadly lost their lives in the incident are also not forgotten.
“The power of animals to sustain morale in times of conflict can never be underestimated.”
10.27.07
HMNZS ‘TE KAHA’ visiting Shanghai.
The New Zealand Navy was in town, represented by HMNZS ‘TE KAHA’ and I was lucky to get an invitation to come on board for a visit. The hospitality of CO Andy Grant and his crew was unsurpassed. We had a chance to have a look around almost all parts of this modern and compact war ship. After the tour of the ship we were treated to coffee and cake, and had the opportunity to meet Maritime Component Commander, Commodore David Anson.
The ‘TE KAHA’ and her sister ship ‘TE MANA’ are built on the German MEKO 200 design. There are now ten frigates in the ANZAC class, eight in Australia and two in New Zealand.
