CHINESE NATIONALISTS HOLD BRITISH STEAMER AT MOUTH OF YANGTSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27232, 8 November 1949, Page 7

CHINESE NATIONALISTS HOLD BRITISH STEAMER AT MOUTH OF YANGTSE

New Zealand Press Association—Reuter—Copyright

Rec. 11.30 p.m. HONGKONG, Nov. 7. A Chinese Nationalist warship at the mouth of the Yangtse intercepted the British steamer Tsinan en route to Hongkong with a cargo from Communist-held Shanghai. Negotiations between the two ships are proceeding under the eyes of a British warship standing by a short distance away. The Chinese warship told the Tsinan that she would be released only on condition that she returned to Shanghai and discharged her cargo. The Tsinan refused and the position reached a deadlock.

A report from the Nationalist base in the Chusan Islands quotes the Chinese naval commander, Ni Yue-si, as saying that the British frigate Alacrity on Saturday defied the Nationalist warning to keep outside Chinese territorial waters. The Alacrity was then waiting to escort the Tsinan from the mouth of the Yangtse. Ni Yue-si had assured that the Tsinan would!be safe but asked the British warship to “keep off.”

The Alacrity is reported to have replied: “ I consider this area outside your territorial waters and shall consider myself free to move as I like. I am obliged to carry out my duty of protecting British shipping on the high seas.” Ni Yue-si then signalled: “This is not the high seas. This is inland water.”