The USS Nimitz sailed into Hong Kong waters on Wednesday despite a Chinese pledge to suspend military exchanges with the United States after its arms sales to Taiwan.
Speculation had swirled on whether China might prevent the Nimitz from visiting Hong Kong over the arms sales and in retaliation for a planned meeting between the Dalai Lama and US president Barack Obama in the White House later this week.
Tensions with Washington have arisen over issues ranging from trade and currencies to the US plan to sell $6.4 billion of weapons to Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.
While US warships have long made periodic port calls to the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, China has barred US ships from entering at sensitive moments.
