China-US phone hotline still in limbo

A telephone hotline between the US and China has not been established despite the efforts of the top US military commander in the Pacific, AP reported. Admiral Timothy Keating said there had been no progress in setting up a hotline during his visit to China in December. "[They] just haven’t given us the phone numbers yet," he told reporters in Washington after his trip. Keating said a phone link could have helped in a series of incidents in November when US vessels, including the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, were denied entry to Hong Kong’s port. He said Chinese officials gave him no explanation or apology for those incidents, nor did they explain an anti-satellite test conducted last year. Keating said his meetings were less tense and confrontational than those in the past.