China has denied a request by a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to make a port call in Hong Kong, the U.S. State Department said Saturday, as tensions continue to rise over the disputed South China Sea.
U.S. Department of State East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau spokeswoman Gabrielle Price told The Japan Times on Saturday that the USS John C. Stennis and accompanying vessels were denied the visit recently.
"We were recently informed that a request for a port visit by a U.S. carrier strike group, including the USS John C. Stennis and accompanying vessels, to Hong Kong was denied," Price said. "We have a long track record of successful port visits to Hong Kong, including with the current visit of the USS Blue Ridge, and we expect that will continue."