Commander of Pacific Forces
to visit China

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

Adm. Thomas Fargo, Pacific Forces commander, will become the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to visit China since the downing of a Navy EP-3E surveillance plane in April 2001.

Relations between the United States and China suffered a major setback after the collision of the Navy surveillance plane with a Chinese fighter over the China sea. But the mid-December visit by Fargo, who assumed command of U.S. forces in the Pacific in May, and the reopening of mainland Chinese ports to U.S. warships are viewed as a warming of those relations.

Chinese officials will allow a Navy ship to visit China this month, a Pentagon spokesman said.

Citing security concerns, Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis declined to provide details on the visit, saying only that it would take place this month at a mainland Chinese port.

The last Navy ship visit to a mainland Chinese port was in March 2001, in Shanghai, by the 7th Fleet flagship Blue Ridge, Davis said.

Davis said China and the United States have enough mutual interests, including concern over North Korea's nuclear weapons program and the war on terrorism, to justify closer relations.

Navy warships also have continued to make port calls in Hong Kong and have visited the mainland ports of Shanghai and Qingdao in recent years.

The last Qingdao stopover was in December 2000.

Fargo also will visit India before flying to China, a Camp Smith spokeswoman said.