China allows U.S. carrier but shuns Boeing

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- China has given the green light for a U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Hong Kong next week, despite strained relations with Washington over proposed arms sales to Taiwan.

"We have received clearance from China for the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to visit Hong Kong in the near future," said Matthew Dolbow, spokesman for the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong.

Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said: "We are pleased that Hong Kong port calls are continuing."

News of the USS Nimitz's port call, one of the world's largest warships, comes less than two weeks after China said it would sever military and security contacts with Washington over the arms deal with Taipei

Relations with Washington have also been strained over trade and currency issues and a scheduled visit to the U.S. capital by the Dalai Lama, the exiled leader of Tibet.

Even so, experts said the carrier's visit marked a concession from Beijing, signaling some willingness to pursue military cooperation.

There was no immediate confirmation of when the ship would dock, but the South China Morning Post reported that it would arrive February 17 and stay for several days.

China has a history of blocking port calls by American naval vessels when it is unhappy with Washington. Beijing officials even blocked two American minesweepers from seeking shelter in Hong Kong's harbor during a storm in November 2007.

The U.S. Pentagon last month unveiled a $6.4 billion arms package for Taiwan including Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters and mine-hunting ships.

That announcement sparked Beijing's wrath, charging that the arms package violated a U.S. pledge to reduce arms sales to the island, which China considers part of its territory, awaiting reunification.

The last U.S. arms package for Taiwan, unveiled by the previous president George W. Bush in October 2008, led China to suspend military relations with the United States temporarily.

Despite the seeming concession from Beijing, Air China, China's country's flagship airline, announced that it would buy 20 jets from the European consortium Airbus, rather than from Boeing, one of the manufacturers of arms for Taiwan.

Boeing has since then declined to comment.

Still, the company has consistently argued that the arms sales represent a transaction between the United States and Taiwan, and it has declined to disclose which weapons systems would be provided by Boeing or other U.S. defense contractors.

In addition to scaling down security relations, Beijing has threatened to sanction U.S. firms selling arms to Taiwan.

Senior Chinese military officers have also proposed that their country boost defense spending and possibly sell some U.S. bonds to punish Washington for its controversial arms sale to Taiwan.