The decision to deny a port call was announced a day after the U. S. approved a possible arms package for Taiwan.
The Chinese government has denied a request by the United States for a U. S. Navy warship to visit Hong Kong for a port call, the U. S. consulate in the city said on Tuesday. “The Chinese government did not approve a request for a port visit to Hong Kong by the USS Wasp,” the consulate noted. “We have a long track record of successful port visits to Hong Kong, and we expect that to continue,” the consulate added. USS Wasp is a multipurpose U. S. Landing Helicopter Dock amphibious assault ship capable of operating the U. S. Marine Corps short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II, the F-35B.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a question on Tuesday at a regular press briefing regarding the decision. “For requests for U. S. military ships to visit Hong Kong, China has always carried out approvals case by case, in accordance with the principle of sovereignty and the detailed situation,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters gathered in Beijing.
China has denied port calls by U. S. Navy vessels to Hong Kong in the past at times of heightened bilateral tension.
