US sailor from HK might join PLA

Discussion Open Forum
1

From the SCMP, a subscription site:

[quote]
Carrier’s visit a homecoming for sailor

Sylvia Chan
Aug 21, 2007

Wai Fu-yip may have served in the United States Navy for two years, but he still regards himself as a “typical Hongkonger”.
Petty Officer Wai came home yesterday aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the Nimitz, which is on a visit with its battle group of six ships, 87 aircraft and 5,000 crew members.

“I am happy to see Hong Kong again,” said the 26-year-old aircraft technician, who is one of two Chinese in the crew. The other is Kim Wong, 24, from Guangzhou.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Petty Officer Wai went to the US in his teens and joined the navy, hoping to broaden his horizons.

“The kind of scenes that occur on board can only be seen in movies,” he said. “I would like to be a commander, if there’s a chance in the future.”

But he said it would be very difficult for a Chinese to be a commander in the US Navy, and did not rule out the possibility of joining the People’s Liberation Army.

For the time being, however, he plans to resume his studies after his four-year stint in the navy.

He said life on board the carrier is routine and a bit boring, but the toughest thing for him is having no friends that speak his mother tongue.

Petty Officer Wai will visit his two sisters during this trip to Hong Kong. He will also go to Lan Kwai Fong and Disneyland and plans to spend several hundred dollars a day.

Kim Wong moved to the US when she was seven and joined the US Navy a year ago after graduating from university, hoping for an unforgettable experience.

Seaman Kim said that, as there was no Chinese food on board, she would try a lot of it in Hong Kong. She also plans to buy some high-tech gadgets, including an iPod and laptop.

This is the Nimitz’s eighth visit to the city. It will leave Hong Kong on Thursday. [/quote]
I’ve never understood local newspapers’ thing with interviewing HK born US sailors when US ships come to town. They always make it out to be some sort of hometown boy makes it big and comes home thing. Some of them are still Chinese citizens. I basically see them as traitors to their own country. Then today I read this article in which a HK born US sailor on the Nimitz does not rule out joining the PLA. If a US serviceman says he wouldn’t rule out working for another country’s military, are there any consequences?

2

Well it could improve their “Go HK, Go” poster if they replaced the man in a boy scout uniform with a real serving military person.

[quote]Hong Kong, February 11, 2007 – To further motivate the unique striving spirit of Hong
Kong, a group of eminent people from different sectors of society have joined forces to
initiate the meaningful “Go HK Go” campaign. Lasting for one year, the event will stimulate
the attention of the seven million residents of Hong Kong and comprehensively promote our
striving, innovative, and self-sustaining spirit. is The campaign is calling for support from
everyone in the city. To substantially manifest the united spirit of Hong Kong, the “Go HK
Go” Movement will be held today, with the Honorary Patron of the “Go HK Go” campaign
Chief Executive, The Honorable Donald Tsang, leading a vast crowd to create a historic
moment – a new world record of 12,000 participants practicing the calligraphy of “福” and
presenting their works together with representatives from the 18 districts was set.[/quote]

From a media release by the HK guvmint. Try saying it without breathing, it sounds a lot better. Errors are all theirs. Go HK!

Such sad, timorous people.

HG

3

[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Well it could improve their “Go HK, Go” poster if they replaced the man in a boy scout uniform with a real serving military person.

[quote]Hong Kong, February 11, 2007 – To further motivate the unique striving spirit of Hong
Kong, a group of eminent people from different sectors of society have joined forces to
initiate the meaningful “Go HK Go” campaign. Lasting for one year, the event will stimulate
the attention of the seven million residents of Hong Kong and comprehensively promote our
striving, innovative, and self-sustaining spirit. is The campaign is calling for support from
everyone in the city. To substantially manifest the united spirit of Hong Kong, the “Go HK
Go” Movement will be held today, with the Honorary Patron of the “Go HK Go” campaign
Chief Executive, The Honorable Donald Tsang, leading a vast crowd to create a historic
moment – a new world record of 12,000 participants practicing the calligraphy of “福” and
presenting their works together with representatives from the 18 districts was set.[/quote]

From a media release by the HK guvmint. Try saying it without breathing, it sounds a lot better. Errors are all theirs. Go HK!

Such sad, timorous people.

HG[/quote]
That’s inspiring. As I read it, I started to shuffle in my seat and could feel the Great Leader’s GO!Go! spirit flowing through me.

4

I personally find it hard to swallow all the Chinese seamen in a foreign army.

5

Oish!

You think you’d be alright, cos usually there’s not many seaman in an army, foreign or otherwise. :laughing:

HG

6

  1. Not sure how he’s a traitor to his country if he immigrated to the US and joined the Navy… because I assume he had to be an immigrant in order to enlist.

  2. His PLA statement was kinda dumb. My guess is he’ll be even more ostracized aboard the Nimitz if not beaten for voicing his PLA sentiments. Whether it rises to the level of treason is another question.

7

[quote=“Jack Burton”]1. Not sure how he’s a traitor to his country if he immigrated to the US and joined the Navy… because I assume he had to be an immigrant in order to enlist.

  1. His PLA statement was kinda dumb. My guess is he’ll be even more ostracized aboard the Nimitz if not beaten for voicing his PLA sentiments. Whether it rises to the level of treason is another question.[/quote]
    An immigrant, but not necessarily a US citizen. There are plenty of non-US citizen enlisted personnel in the US armed forces. And how would someone not be a traitor if he or she joined the armed forces of a country that’s a potential adversary of the one where he or she was originally from? Service in another country’s military, especially one that is not a US ally, is definitely grounds for loss of US citizenship. I can’t imagine the PRC seeing it differently.
8

[quote=“llary”]I personally find it hard to swallow all the Chinese seamen in a foreign army.[/quote]I don’t get it :s

9

Well, if he’s a typical Honkie then at least we know why he’ll have a hard time making commander. i hope he’s not in charge of parking airplanes or handling munitions. :wink:

10

I can see it now. “Solly! Snicker, snicker.”

HG

11

I think it is a two way street. The guy is obviously aware of the glass ceiling in his current career path. Why should he waste his time in an organization that doesn’t value him, if he can find advancement else where.

12

It’s a play on words, Matthew. Because “seamen” sounds like “semen” (which is the liquid part of the male ejaculate, which appears if you look at stills of Rachel Welch in 1,000 years BC – it comes out the end of your willy and feels kind of like a giant sneeze), Llary’s implying that he has performed oral sex on every Chinese member of a foreign army and that he found it difficult to swallow all that semen. He doesn’t specify which army – maybe he was referring to the Andorran army or something, in which case his capacity for army spooge might be moot, as there are probably very few Chinese members of the Andorran armed forces.
I hope that allows you to get it.

13

Possibly. I’m sure it may not be as easy.

However, there are some examples to the otherwise:

John Ibazaid - Lebanese American
Eric Shinseki - Japanese American
Colin Powell - African American
Maj. Gen. John R. D’Araujo Jr - Filipino American
Maj. Gen. John Liu - Chinese American

I’m sure there are more…but I couldn’t be arsed.

14

and therein lies my point. Your statement is full of assumptions and too generalized.

I could understand if you had a feeling that he was a traitor, but not logically speaking.

  1. potential adversary. potential is a big if. ie not yet an adversary… requires a big leap.

  2. assumption that he owes the PRC loyalty.

  3. it follows that many immigrants are traitors since they may engage in acts helping their new country.

In fact, to the contrary, I find it a hallmark of the highest show of loyalty (yes, many probably do it more for citizenship or GI grants) for an immigrant to serve his new country. This point doesn’t negate your argument of course, but I think the nature of an immigrant inherently does. He LEFT his old country, and Immigrated to become part of another country. Therefore, by definition, he can’t be traitorous to what he is not part of.

Unless you’re into the idea of the Deutsche Volk returning to Vaterland and all that applying to everyone everywhere. Then I could see your point.

I may be splitting hairs here…

15

Spitting hairs, Jack? I’d have thought that was more Llary’s purview. Wiry straight black ones.
OK, no more. I promise.

16

You know, it could be that the glass ceiling is used to filter out dickless arseholes and has absolutely nothing to do with race or gender, not that I would ever suggest that could be true in your case.

However, since Elegua was good enough to provide an off the top of the head list of non-Caucasians that have made it to exalted positions n the US military, perhaps you would oblige us with that lengthy list of foreigners that have served so highly in the Taiwanese or mainland military? Okay, a private or two? Right.

HG

17

I believe Shinseki and Powell are not foriegn born Americans. If the arms services in the US have a slower advancement for foreign born members, why shouldn’t one consider moving to another organization for the sake of advancement.

We are of course assuming this individual has the ability to qualified for the commander position. It is not like the largest arms forces in the world, the PLA, is less competitive in their advancement. Would you take you chance at an organization where 20 candidates compete for 1 spot or one where 2000 candidates compete for 1 spot.

18

Your bases are all mine!

I’m sorry commander applicant ac_dropout, but you failed on a lack of logic and crap grammar, in this instance. However, I can assure you we are a meritocracy. So please try again.

HG

19

[quote=“ac_dropout”]I believe Shinseki and Powell are not foreign born Americans. If the arms services in the US have a slower advancement for foreign born members, why shouldn’t one consider moving to another organization for the sake of advancement.

We are of course assuming this individual has the ability to qualified for the commander position. It is not like the largest arms forces in the world, the PLA, is less competitive in their advancement. Would you take you chance at an organization where 20 candidates compete for 1 spot or one where 2000 candidates compete for 1 spot.[/quote]

Yeah, but some of the others on the list are. Not all are victims as you are.

I’m sure as a honkie grown up in the US Navy he would be warmly welcomed and integrated by his PLA bretheren. :laughing:

20

I remember the developer of the silk worm missile, Tsien Hsue-shen (錢學森), was welcomed by the PRC after being kicked out of the USA in 1955. He is credited with helping the PRC enter the space race.

Examples like this show how xenophobic “white” Americans can be, and how genius will always come back and kick you in the ass to get the last laugh. :laughing: