Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the Chinese government refused to allow the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) aircraft carrier to stop in Hong Kong. After the carrier completed its exercises in South Korea, it hosted a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and the Defense Minister of the Philippines. Now the USS John C. Stennis is at the U.S. naval base in Singapore. Both the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense confirmed China’s refusal. According to the news report, this carrier has been “particularly enthusiastic” recently about the activities in the South China Sea and observers around the world now consider it to be a symbol of “U.S. hegemonism” in the region. Analysts expressed the belief that the Chinese refusal was a response to Mr. Carter’s last-minute cancellation of a visit to China. The spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry commented that the so-called U.S. “freedom of navigation” is a “military provocation against China” and it is “very dangerous” since it may trigger unexpected accidents.
Source: Sina, April 30, 2016
http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/china/2016-04-30/doc-ifxrtztc3077967.shtml