<p>The cancellation comes after months of strident objections by China to the presence of US aircraft carriers in the Yellow Sea, the Hong-Kong based 'South China Morning Post' reported.<br /><br />US naval commanders, however, say the decision was made for operational reasons rather than because of objections from Beijing.<br /><br />Commander Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the US Pacific Fleet, confirmed that the USS George Washington strike group cancelled the visit due to other operational commitments.<br /><br />"It is not unusual for changes to ship schedules to occur. Hong Kong is a favourite port of call for US navy sailors, and we look forward to rescheduling a visit by USS George Washington at a future date. This cancellation was not due to a denial by the Chinese government.<br /><br />"Other ship visits are continuing as planned, including USS Shiloh which is in Hong Kong right now; and USNS Safeguard which visited Hong Kong last week," Davis said.<br />Based in Japan and the only carrier permanently stationed outside the United States, the George Washington is a symbol of mounting Chinese concern at the projection of US power in East Asia.<br /><br />According to the daily, China's concerns were conveyed during a private dinner in Hong Kong six weeks ago by chief executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chee-hwa to Admiral Robert Willard, the head of the US Pacific Command.<br /><br />He reportedly told the Admiral not to contain China and that US carriers which were exercising in the Yellow Sea were "too close for Beijing's comfort".<br /><br />The news of the cancellation of the ship's visit came a day after officials in both Beijing and Washington said that Defence Minister Liang Guanglie would meet his US counterpart, Robert Gates at a gathering of regional defence chiefs in Hanoi next week.<br />It will be the highest-level bilateral meeting since Beijing froze military exchanges in January in protest against the US arms sales to Taiwan.<br /><br />Tensions with Beijing escalated when Washington raised concerns over China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and staged high-profile exercises with South Korea in the Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea. China also scrapped a long-planned visit by Gates to Beijing in June.</p>
<p>The cancellation comes after months of strident objections by China to the presence of US aircraft carriers in the Yellow Sea, the Hong-Kong based 'South China Morning Post' reported.<br /><br />US naval commanders, however, say the decision was made for operational reasons rather than because of objections from Beijing.<br /><br />Commander Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the US Pacific Fleet, confirmed that the USS George Washington strike group cancelled the visit due to other operational commitments.<br /><br />"It is not unusual for changes to ship schedules to occur. Hong Kong is a favourite port of call for US navy sailors, and we look forward to rescheduling a visit by USS George Washington at a future date. This cancellation was not due to a denial by the Chinese government.<br /><br />"Other ship visits are continuing as planned, including USS Shiloh which is in Hong Kong right now; and USNS Safeguard which visited Hong Kong last week," Davis said.<br />Based in Japan and the only carrier permanently stationed outside the United States, the George Washington is a symbol of mounting Chinese concern at the projection of US power in East Asia.<br /><br />According to the daily, China's concerns were conveyed during a private dinner in Hong Kong six weeks ago by chief executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chee-hwa to Admiral Robert Willard, the head of the US Pacific Command.<br /><br />He reportedly told the Admiral not to contain China and that US carriers which were exercising in the Yellow Sea were "too close for Beijing's comfort".<br /><br />The news of the cancellation of the ship's visit came a day after officials in both Beijing and Washington said that Defence Minister Liang Guanglie would meet his US counterpart, Robert Gates at a gathering of regional defence chiefs in Hanoi next week.<br />It will be the highest-level bilateral meeting since Beijing froze military exchanges in January in protest against the US arms sales to Taiwan.<br /><br />Tensions with Beijing escalated when Washington raised concerns over China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and staged high-profile exercises with South Korea in the Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea. China also scrapped a long-planned visit by Gates to Beijing in June.</p>