China has decided to suspend US Navy ships visits and aircraft to Hong Kong after the US voted a legislation last week supporting pro-democracy protesters. In the meantime, President Trump is seeking a deal with China, aiming to end the trade war.
According to BBC, China would suspend reviewing applications by US Navy to visit Hong Kong, warning that additional action could occur.
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As of today, numerous US Navy ships visit Hong Kong every year, despite the fact that visits are sometimes suspended as relationship between the two countries become strained.
The last American navy ship to visit Hong Kong was USS Blue Ridge, in April. Recently, during August China denied requests for visits by the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie, as well as the transport ship USS Green Bay, without giving specific reasons.
In addition, during September 2018, China did not allow entry for a US warship to Hong Kong, after the US applied sanctions because of the purchase of a Russian fighter aircraft.
Commenting on this development, Michael Raska, a security expert at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, explained that the US would not be affected by this ban, noting that it can use many naval bases in the area.
