China Blocks U.S. Navy Flotilla’s Visit to Hong Kong
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MICHAEL FORSYTHE

WASHINGTON — The Chinese government on Thursday denied a Navy flotilla access to the port in Hong Kong, Pentagon officials said Friday, the latest sign of escalating tension between the United States and China.

The rare refusal to allow the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis, and several other vessels accompanying it, to visit the port comes two weeks after the Stennis hosted the defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, on a visit to the South China Sea, where the United States is challenging what it sees as excessive maritime claims by China.

During the trip, Mr. Carter criticized the Chinese and said the United States would work with its allies in the region.

“America’s policy continues to be one valued on principles of peaceful resolutions of disputes, lawful settlement of things like territorial disputes like the South China Sea, or anywhere else, freedom of navigation, freedom of commerce,” Mr. Carter said at the time.

The denial was the first time the Chinese government had refused to allow an American aircraft carrier into the port in Hong Kong since August 2014, according to Pentagon officials. The Navy had asked the Chinese to let the Stennis and accompanying vessels visit the port next week, the officials said.

There is currently a United States Navy ship in port in Hong Kong, the Blue Ridge, Kristin Haworth, a spokeswoman for the American Consulate in Hong Kong, said by telephone. The Blue Ridge is the command ship of the United States Seventh Fleet.

“We have a long track record of successful visits to Hong Kong, including the U.S.S. Blue Ridge, and we expect that to continue,” she said.

American naval vessels are frequent visitors to Hong Kong, regarded as one of the most desirable ports of call because of its night life and shopping. Before the 1997 return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, entry was never a problem because the city was governed by Britain.

Since the transfer, the Navy has continued to make port calls in Hong Kong, but the Chinese government has on occasion rejected American requests. In 2007, China denied access to another aircraft carrier, the Kitty Hawk, as well as two minesweepers. In 2002, a guided-missile destroyer, the Curtis Wilbur, was also denied entry.

The families of crew members from the Stennis and other vessels had been told that the ships planned to make a port stop, and many had already bought tickets to visit the sailors while they were there.

美航母泊靠香港遭拒 克魯茲：應改道去台灣

美國國務院29日證實，中國拒絕美國核子動力航空母艦「史坦尼斯號」（USS John C. Stennis）泊靠香港的申請。美國國務院同時表示，希望另一艘美國軍艦獲准泊靠香港。

「史坦尼斯號」最近曾巡航南海爭議海域，觀察家認為，該艦被拒泊靠香港，很可能是南海情勢即將再度升級的前兆。

「美國之音」29日引述美國國防部亞太事務發言人、海軍中校鄂班的話說：「我們新近獲得告知，美國一個航母戰鬥群，包括航母史坦尼斯號與其所屬艦隻，泊靠香港之請已被拒絕。」

鄂班表示，美國軍艦有訪問香港的長期紀錄，包括目前正在那裡訪問的第七艦隊旗艦「藍嶺號」。他說，「我們期待這一傳統繼續下去」。

分析指出，這是中國對美國國防部長卡特最後一刻決定取消訪中，並在南海爭議海域登上史坦尼斯號，以及連續派遣戰機飛越爭議島礁等作法的回應。

美國官方表示，中國外交部在北京時間28日晚間對表示不准史坦尼斯航母群停泊香港，但沒有具體說明拒絕的理由。

克魯茲：航母應改道去台灣

北京拒絕「史坦尼斯號」航母戰鬥群停靠香港，美國共和黨總統參選人克魯茲29日在推特建議，「美國航母敦睦訪問香港遭拒，證明中華人民共和國不是美國的夥伴，航母應改道去台灣」。

《南華早報》報導，中國外交部書面回覆有關詢問，表示美國戰艦和軍機的停靠請求是「按照主權原則和具體情況逐案」審查。

觀察家說，「史坦尼斯號」航母戰鬥群是美國遏阻中國在南中國海填海造地和實施軍事化的象徵，因此被中國拒絕停靠香港。過去數周，「史坦尼斯號」航母戰鬥群在南海一帶航行並訪問周邊盟國。

卡特4月15日在南海爭議海域與菲律賓國防部長同乘魚鷹運輸機，登上正在南海爭議水域巡航的「史坦尼斯號」，在艦上反駁北京指美國升高南海情勢之說，並指控北京在搞南海軍事化。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/30/world/asia/china-blocks-us-navy-flotillas-visit-to-hong-kong.html

紐約時報中文版翻譯：
http://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160503/c03chinanavy/zh-hant/

2016-04-30．聯合晚報．A2．話題．國際新聞組