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ReutersHONG KONG (Reuters) - The head of U.S. forces in the Pacific said on Thursday the USS Kitty Hawk, banned from entering Hong Kong in November, had not obtained final permission from China before setting off from its home base in Japan.
The aircraft carrier and its strike group were refused permission by Beijing to dock in Hong Kong for a long-planned Thanksgiving holiday visit in November, causing a bilateral row.
Asked if it had had approval to dock in Hong Kong, Admiral Timothy Keating said: "My understanding is it did not. It got close, the captain of the ship ... realised they didn't have permission so they turned around and started back home."
A bilateral agreement stipulates that the United States must apply for port visits at least 30 days in advance, while China should grant or reject such requests five days before arrival.
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