CHINESE BLOCKADE HOLDS TWO BRITISH SHIPS

Grey River Argus, 9 November 1949, Page 5

CHINESE BLOCKADE HOLDS TWO BRITISH SHIPS

N.Z.P.A.—Reuter. (Rec 11.10) HONG KONG, Nov 8. Another British merchantman was intercepted this morning by a Chinese Nationalist warship at the mouth of the Yangtse. She is the steamer Wosang, bound for Hong Kong with a cargo from Shanghai. The Wosang

is now anchored close to the Tsinan at the entrance to the Yangtse. Both ships are in Chinese territorial waters ,and are near a Chinese Nationalist warship, which is standing across their path to the open sea. The British frigate Alacrity continues to keep watch about five miles away outside the territorial waters.

Shipping circles in Hong Kong believe that neither the Tsinan nor the Wosang are in any physical danger. It is believed the present Nationalist action may be a final effort to blockade this setcion of the China coast by warships. Natoinalist resources in ships are being rapidly depleted partly by de lections to the Communists. Their sea-air base in the Chusan Islands is south of the Yangtse entrance, and is now coming under increasing Communist pressure. They already have lost several adjacent islands. Loss of the Chusans would necessitate withdrawal to Taiwan, and seriously reduce the Nationalists’ ability to control the Yangtse mouth except by air.