The Chinese understand gunboat diplomacy quite well.
Remember a few years ago when one of our carriers was denied their usual/normal visit to - I think - Singapore? That made the news, as did the rescinding of the denial a week or 2 later, without explanation.
A co-worker had a daughter in Naval Intelligence, Hawaii, at the time, and she passed on to her parents the reason the denial was rescinded.
In the interim, an entire carrier task force (Kitty Hawk?) had sailed the Strait of Taiwan. Pretty tight quarters!
That did not make the news.
