San Fran Mayor Enters Geopolitics: Snubs China After Spill

Wow. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom abruptly cancels upcoming China visit--even refusing, two days ago, to participate in a pre-trip dinner at the local Chinese Consulate. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

... in the midst of a 58,000-gallon oil spill in the bay, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom abruptly canceled a trip to China that he was due to take next week - a move one local Chinese leader called "an insult."...

The San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce-sponsored trip was organized by Chinatown powerhouse Rose Pak, and Newsom was to be among 30 delegates, along with former Mayor Willie Brown and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin...

..."It's an insult to our organization, the community, the people as well as an insult to the Chinese government..."

Ah, um, Rose? Perhaps some people think it insulting that the captain of a ship owned by/affiliated with the Chinese Government allegedly directed his ship, the COSCO Busan [what flag was the vessel flying at the time of the incident?] into a key San Francisco transitway and, so doing, generated an environmental disaster. And the crew, at last report, isn't cooperating.

[update: Not us! says COSCO; they point to another firm Regal Stone Ltd, with tendrils leading everywhere from the MED and back. Serves me right for commenting on merchant ship ownership. But all the tendrils seem to lead back to Hong Kong...I'll just stick with 1) what flag? Or 2, would this vessel be obligated to serve the PLA in the event China requests?]

Let's flashback to some San Francisco Chronicle coverage of the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) from, oh, March 13, 1997:

In recent years, COSCO ships have been involved in several controversies:
-- One was used by arms smugglers to bring 2,000 illegal Chinese weapons into Oakland last year. COSCO was not charged.

-- Another of the company's ships crashed into a crowded boardwalk in New Orleans in December.

-- The Coast Guard stopped six of the company's ships in the past year, accusing them of violating international safety regulations, and has now placed the company on a list of shippers to be monitored.

-- U.S. intelligence suspected that one of the company's ships was carrying chemical weapons materials [to Iran, BTW] in 1993. Nothing was found on the ship when it was searched [By Saudi authorities].

The link between the Chinese government, COSCO and the Chinese military needs further airing, methinks. I wonder if any vessels coming into San Francisco have been fitted to carry some of those nifty 120mm box launchers? Hmm.

Hmmm. Hmm? Bottom line: This is unusual behavior for Gavin Newsom, and it will be noted. Obvious question: Have certain people been telling Newsom certain things? Who knows...But there's going to be an effort made to find out.