U.S. Navy command ship docks in Shanghai days after carrier was turned away from Hong Kong amid tension over South China Sea

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Naval command ship USS Blue Mountain has docked in Shanghai a week after a carrier group led by USS John C Stennis was refused access to the port of Hong Kong.

After arriving in the Chinese financial capital Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, tried to downplay recent tensions between the U.S. and the Communist country over disputed waters in the South China Sea.

Describing the Hong Kong incident as a 'minor hurdle', Aucoin said: 'The relationship between our two countries is much too important for a port visit to get in the way of that.'

The USS Blue Ridge, the command vessel of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, has docked in Shanghai today as part of efforts to foster relations with China and the People's Liberation Army Navy

The Blue Ridge (pictured), which has been on patrol in the Pacific for most of 2016, arrived in China's financial hub a week after the USS Stennis was denied entry to the port of Hong Kong

U.S. sailors were met at the harbor by their Chinese counterparts who carried a welcome banner before going to play a game of basketball against one another and tour the city

Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, commander of the U.S. Navy's Seventh fleet (center), attempted to downplay tensions with China after disembarking, calling the Hong Kong snub a 'minor hurdle'

Aucoin was joined on the dock in Shanghai by Rear Admiral Zhi Tianlong (left), who was charged with welcoming him to the city

Aucoin refused to be drawn on the reason behind China snubbing the Stennis, which was due to call in Hong Kong on Friday last week, saying that would probably be a good question for the government of China.'

Chinese officials have yet to explain the move, but many have speculated that it came after Defense Secretary Ash Carter paid a visit to the Stennis while it was carrying out operations in the South China Sea two weeks before.

Captain Matt Paradise, Blue Ridge's commanding officer, said the overall mission for the port visit is to get to know and develop relationships with the People's Republic of China, and the People's Liberation Army Navy.

Paradise said: 'The more Blue Ridge works with the PLA(N), the better we will get to know each other and that will increase mutual understandings and decrease tensions. In turn we can become better partners.'

Sailors and Marines will play basketball with their Chinese counterparts in an inter-navy basketball game, will take part in various tours of the city, and will visit a school for the blind.

American relations with China have been strained in recent months over the disputed South China Sea as the Communist nation attempts to lay claim to the waters which potentially contain valuable mineral deposits (pictured, the Blue Ridge is watched into port)

China has constructed several military bases and artificial islands in the sea and is now attempting to enforce exclusion zones which the U.S. Navy has deliberately violated in the past, citing international freedom of navigation law (pictured, the Blue Ridge arrives in Shanghai)

While China has not given an official explanation for why the Stennis was denied a port call at Hong Kong, it came after Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the ship while it was in the South China Sea (pictured, Chinese sailors haul in a rope from the USS Blue Ridge)

The Blue Ridge visited Shanghai as part of its 2016 tour season which has also seen it dock in India and the Philippines, a rival of China's in its fight over the contested South China Sea (pictured, Chinese sailors unravel a welcome banner)

Beijing is attempting to lay claim to the potentially mineral-rich South China Sea, which also includes fertile fishing ground and is used to transport $5trillion worth of goods each year, and has constructed artificial islands and runways in the region in an attempt to enforce its claim.

Other Pacific nations, including the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan, also claim sovereignty over part of the waterway, and are fighting for the issue to be decided by an international arbitration panel, rather than by military force.

The U.S. has made it clear that it also favors arbitration, and in October last year deliberately breached a 12 nautical mile exclusion zone China attempted to place around its artificial island by sailing the USS Lassen on a patrol through it.

At the time Chinese officials lashed out at the U.S. operation, calling it a 'coercive action that seeks to militarize the South China Sea region' and an 'abuse' of freedom of navigation laws.

Despite the recent tensions, Aucoin said the Chinese Navy still plans to take part in two joint military exercises in the region along with other nations.

At a news conference after disembarking, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin refused to be drawn on why the Stennis was not allowed to dock in Hong Kong, saying that is 'a question for the Chinese government'

Despite the recent tensions with China, Aucoin confirmed that the Communist nation will participate in two joint military exercises with the U.S. Navy in the coming months (pictured, Chinese sailors wait for the arrival of the Blue Ridge)

Later this month the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (sailors, pictured) is due to take part in a training exercise with 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including many it is fighting with for control of the South China Sea

In June and July the Chinese Navy will also participate in drills dubbed the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, or RIMPAC, off Hawaii

The U.S. will host drills dubbed the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, or RIMPAC, off Hawaii in June and July. The exercise, which takes place every two years and has previously included China, is billed as the world's largest.

China will also be cooperating with the U.S. Navy in a training exercise with 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations later this month. 

The Blue Mountain, which has been forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, for the last 36 years, docked in Shanghai as part of its 2016 patrol season which has included India and the Philippines.

The ship, which was launched in 1969 and is the oldest deployable vessel in the U.S. Navy, is designed to provide command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence support to the commander of the Seventh Fleet.

Meanwhile the Stennis is one of ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in service, and the only one in its class named for a Senator, rather than a President. 

The USS Stennis, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, was denied access to the port of Hong Kong a week ago, with no explanation given