China Fires Back at US in Diplomatic Feud

Tensions between the US and China took a turn for the worse today with China making clear that its refusal to let a US Navy carrier dock in Hong Kong was deliberate and not a simple "misunderstanding" as characterized by the White House. Beijing said "erroneous" US activities—including an arms sale to Taiwan—have left already iffy relations "disturbed and harmed," the AP reports.

China blocked a Thanksgiving visit by the carrier because of the arms sale, which it called a matter of "grave concern," notes the New York Times. It also objected to  Bush's visit with the Dalai Lama. “After the U.S. seriously harms China’s interests, it still asks for an embrace," said a Chinese naval captain. "There is no reason in the world for us to do so." (More China stories.)