China’s decision to block the United States military from Hong Kong is a symbolic gesture that will not deter operations, according to a former Navy official.
“It was intended to be an expression of diplomatic displeasure more than an effort to strategically hobble the United States,” Seth Cropsey, a former deputy undersecretary of the Navy, told the Washington Examiner.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that U.S. military ships and aircraft no longer would be able to visit Hong Kong, adding that the ban would go into effect immediately. The decision was made in response to U.S. support for democracy protests in Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong is particularly important because of the political situation there,” Cropsey said. “But as far as being a strategic fulcrum of some sort, it’s not.”
American Navy ships typically stop off in Hong Kong to stock up on supplies or to offer shore leave to sailors.
Pentagon officials did not respond when asked how the decision might affect supply stops and port calls, despite these operations being unclassified. One Navy official told the Washington Examiner, “This doesn’t impact the Navy operationally, at all,” noting there are several other ports in the area.
American air power also is unlikely to see disruptions, former Air Force fighter pilot John Venable told the Washington Examiner.
“I don’t know of any flights that we have that go in and out of there on a regular basis, honestly, and certainly we don’t have any operational assets based in and around Hong Kong,” Venable said.
The Pentagon referred the Washington Examiner to the State Department, which did not provide a response by press time.
China has closed off Hong Kong to the Navy before, usually due to diplomatic disputes. In 2016, the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis was denied entry after conducting operations in the disputed South China Sea. The U.S. Navy has engaged in “freedom of navigation operations” in the South China Sea region as a counter to China’s militarization of several island chains there.
The frigate USS Reuben James was denied a port call in late December 2007. One month earlier, thousands of sailors from the USS Kitty Hawk battle group were denied a Thanksgiving port call, upsetting the plans of many families who had flown to Hong Kong to be with their loved ones. Both incidents occurred after China criticized U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
