Japan cuts Chinese navy tour due to US spy concerns: report
TOKYO (AFP) — Japan cancelled a tour for visiting Chinese sailors of an advanced Aegis-equipped warship due to US concern that Beijing could gather confidential information, a newspaper said Friday.
Japanese and US officials both denied the report in the Yomiuri Shimbun, which said the Chinese naval crew had been slated to visit Japan's Aegis-equipped Kirishima warship on Friday.
The Shenzhen destroyer with more than 300 sailors is this week paying the first port call by communist China's navy to Japan in the latest effort by the Asian powers to repair relations.
The Aegis system -- seen as Japan's top line of defence against a potential North Korean attack -- has a cutting-edge radar and can launch missiles at more than 10 targets at one time.
The US military, which protects Japan under a security alliance, and the US embassy intervened to cancel the tour of the Kirishima, which is based in Yokosuka south of Tokyo, the Yomiuri said, quoting unnamed sources.
Kyodo News, in a similar report, said that the defence ministry decided to show the Chinese visitors a supply ship instead.
US embassy spokesman David Marks denied the reports, saying it was up to Japan to decide to offer tours of its navy, which the officially pacifist nation calls the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).
"Neither US forces in Japan nor the US embassy in Tokyo asked the government of Japan to cancel a tour of a JMSDF Aegis ship by PLA (People's Liberation Army) navy officers," Marks said.
Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba also denied the story, telling reporters: "I haven't heard that we were planning to show an Aegis warship."
A defence ministry spokeswoman said the choice of ship was determined based on vessels' training schedules.
"Today the Kirishima is away from Yokosuka port, so physically they can't visit it," she said.
The United States has voiced concern this year after a Japanese petty officer allegedly obtained confidential data of the Aegis system. The officer's wife is Chinese, raising worries about possible espionage.
The United States and China have recently been at loggerheads over naval affairs.
The US Navy chief said Tuesday he was upset that China last week denied entry to Hong Kong to two small US minesweepers that needed fuel and refuge from a storm.
China also hesitated at allowing the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk to make a scheduled port call in Hong Kong.
