BEIJING (Sputnik) — The warship requested a port call permit early Thursday but was denied entry.
"[They] said ‘no’ to the carrier," the US official told the South China Morning Post newspaper on condition of anonymity.
According to the outlet, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that port calls by US warships had to be approved on a case-by-case basis "in accordance with sovereignty principles."
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited the ship last month in a move he said was intended to demonstrate the commitment by the United States to regional security and the alliance with the Philippines.
China views US aid to the Philippines as a threat to its own aspirations in the region. Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea as its territory, but several countries in the region dispute those claims.
On Monday, Chinese media reported that Beijing intends to start land reclamation activities on the South China Sea sand banks before the end of the year.
