China has denied requests for two US Navy ships to visit Hong Kong, the Pacific Fleet said on Tuesday, after the two countries engaged in a war of words over the city's pro-democracy protests.

Beijing today also accused some Washington politicians of being the 'black hand' behind the city's violent criminals whom the Communist Party said were no different to 'terrorists'.

U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday said Chinese troops were moving to the border with Hong Kong, citing U.S. intelligence, and urged all sides to stay calm.

The USS Green Bay, an amphibious dock landing ship, was to stop in Hong Kong on Saturday. Pictured, the warship manoeuvres off the Thai coast during an exercise on February 17, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday said Chinese troops were moving to the border with Hong Kong, citing U.S. intelligence, and urged all sides to stay calm. Pictured, Trump speaks during a visit to Shell's soon-to-be completed Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex Tuesday

China has told the U.S. to stay out of its internal affairs after some US lawmakers, including House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (seen at a news conference on Sunday), condemned what they called acts of violence by police against protesters in Hong Kong

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell showed his support to Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters in a tweet on Monday. Beijing has condemned his remarks too

Hong Kong has been rocked by protests over the past two months against a proposed bill that would allow people to be extradited from the city to stand trial in Communist Party-controlled courts in mainland China. The chaos escalated after activists occupied the airport for two days

New footage and satellite images have emerged showing hundreds of military vehicles gathered at a sports centre in a mainland city bordering Hong Kong in an ominous sign that China could be preparing a tough crackdown on the anti-government movement.

President Trump has previously praised China in its handling of the ongoing unrest, saying President Xi Jinping has acted 'very responsibly'.

The USS Green Bay, an amphibious dock landing ship, was to stop in Hong Kong on Saturday, while the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie planned a port call there next month, Commander Nate Christensen, deputy spokesman for the United States Pacific Fleet, said in a statement.

'The Chinese government denied requests for port visits to Hong Kong' by the two vessels, Christensen said.

He referred the question of why the request was denied to China.

Guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (pictured in 2005) planned a port call in Hong Kong next month. The Chinese authority has allegedly barred the warship from sailing into the territory

President Trump has previously praised China in its handling of the ongoing unrest, saying President Xi Jinping has acted 'very responsibly'. The Chinese leader is pictured speaking during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Beijing on July 2

Hong Kong has been rocked by protests over the past two months against a proposed bill that would allow people to be extradited from the city to stand trial in Communist Party-controlled courts in mainland China.

The mass display of opposition to the bill has morphed into a wider pro-democracy movement that has thrown down the most significant challenge to Beijing's authority since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

The unrest escalated dramatically yesterday after anti-riot police officers stormed Hong Kong International Airport and fired pepper spray at protesters during bloody clashes that resulted in five arrests.

A satellite image shows military and security vehicles parked in a stadium in Shenzhen

Chinese state media also released videos to show tanks and military trucks being mobilised

Hong Kong and the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen shares a 37-kilometre-long (22-mile-long) border. The satellite images suggested the military trucks have been assembled in Shenzhen Bay, a stone's throw from Hong Kong across the water

Officers gather in Shenzhen which shares a 22-mile border with Hong Kong on August 6

Demonstrators had occupied the terminal building for two days, leaving the airport paralysed, hundreds of flights cancelled and throngs of travellers stranded.

China's Hong Kong Liaison office said today that anti-government protesters were no different to 'terrorists' after two mainland Chinese citizens were attacked by demonstrators at the airport 'for being undercover agents'.

The protesters are continuing to urge the government to respond to their five demands, including a complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, an independent enquiry into alleged police violence and universal suffrage.

China today lashed out at some US lawmakers, particularly House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for their 'absurd remarks' on the Hong Kong chaos.

A police officer aims his gun against protesters during the demonstration in Hong Kong airport during yesterday's clashes

Five people were detained last night, bringing the number of those arrested since the protests began in June to over 600

Protesters surround a man carrying a T-shirt baring the words 'I love HK police' who protesters claimed was a police officer from mainland China. The man turned out to be a journalist working for China's state newspaper Global Times

Bloody clashes broke out between the demonstrators and anti-riot police last night when travellers were still waiting and arriving at Hong Kong International Airport, which had been paralysed by mass pro-democracy rallies for two days

The Office of the Commissioner of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said in a statement that 'certain members of the US congress confuse right and wrong, confound black and white, and incite violence and crimes'.

'They use their words and actions to prove that they are the black hand behind extreme and violent individuals,' the statement said, before citing similar criticism made by China's Foreign Ministry yesterday.

In a Monday statement, Kentucky Republican, McConnell said: 'The people of Hong Kong are bravely standing up to the Chinese Communist Party as Beijing tries to encroach on their autonomy and freedom. Any violent crackdown would be completely unacceptable. As I have said on the Senate floor: The world is watching.'

China's foreign ministry told the United States to stay out of its internal affairs after some lawmakers, including Nancy Pelosi (left) and Mitch McConnell (right), condemned what they called acts of violence by police against protesters in Hong Kong

Democrat Pelosi tweeted: 'It is alarming to watch the #HongKong police with support from Beijing intensify their use of force against the protesters and label them violent criminals'

Democrat Pelosi tweeted: 'It is alarming to watch the #HongKong police with support from Beijing intensify their use of force against the protesters and label them violent criminals.

'I urge Carrie Lam to meet with protest leaders to listen and act on their legitimate grievances including withdrawing the extradition bill, ending police violence & granting universal suffrage.

'The people of Hong Kong are trying to preserve the promise of One Country - Two Systems. If we don't speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out elsewhere.'

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson from China's Foreign Ministry, yesterday urged Washington to mind its own business and stay out of Hong Kong affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying (pictured March 2018) warned the U.S. at a press briefing yesterday: 'Mind your own business and stay out of Hong Kong affairs'

Hong Kong has been beset by often violent anti-government protests for the past nine weeks

Members of the medical profession gather to protest against Hong Kong police brutality

Hua said at a press briefing: 'The U.S. denied on many occasions its involvement in the ongoing violent incidents in Hong Kong.

'However, the comments from those members of the US congress have provided the world with new and powerful evidence on the country's involvement.

'By neglecting and distorting the truth, they whitewashed violent crimes as a struggle for human rights and freedom, and deliberately misinterpreted the work of Hong Kong police as violent repression when the police were only enforcing the law, fighting crimes and upholding social order.'

Hua concluded: 'We solemnly remind you this plain truth: Hong Kong affairs are entirely China's internal affairs, and you are neither entitled nor qualified to wantonly comment on them,' Chunying said. 'Mind your own business and stay out of Hong Kong affairs.'

US President Trump: 'Hong Kong is a very tough situation' U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the situation in Hong Kong was tricky, but he hoped it would work out for everybody, including China, and 'for liberty' without anyone getting hurt or killed. 'The Hong Kong thing is a very tough situation - very tough,' Trump told reporters during a visit to Morristown, New Jersey. 'We'll see what happens.' 'It's a very tricky situation. I think it will work out and I hope it works out, for liberty. I hope it works out for everybody, including China,' Trump said. 'I hope it works out peacefully. I hope nobody gets hurt. I hope nobody gets killed.' Advertisement

On Tuesday, Senator Ben Cardin said China could lose its special US trade status if Beijing intervenes directly to crack down on increasingly violent pro-democracy protests in the city. Cardin also urged Trump to speak up. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Trump before a bilateral meeting during the G20 Summit on June 29 in Osaka, Japan

Trump said on Tuesday the situation in Hong Kong was tricky but hoped it would work out for everybody, including China, and 'for liberty' without anyone getting hurt or killed

China has previously targeted a U.S. diplomat in Hong Kong, calling her the 'foreign master' of Hong Kong pro-democracy 'minions'.

The statement is believed to be a response after the city's pro-democracy leaders Joshua Wong and Nathan Law had reportedly met with a senior official from the U.S. Consulate General in a meeting in a hotel.

The U.S. official has been identified as Julie Eadeh, the political unit chief of United States Consulate General.

The Hong Kong office of China's Foreign Ministry lodged stern representations with the United States as a result, urging U.S. officials to stop sending wrong signals to the 'violent separatists' in Hong Kong

Washington hit back and called Beijing 'a thuggish regime'.

Joshua Wong (left) and Nathan Law (pictured), two leaders of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, have reportedly met with a senior official from the U.S. Consulate General

The picture circulated by Hong Kong media appears to show the meeting in a Hong Kong hotel

China branded the U.S. official as 'the foreign master of pro-independence separatists', accusing her of colluding with activists. U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus (left) rejected China's claims and accused it of leaking personal details of their diplomat

U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus rejected China's claims and accused it of leaking personal details of their diplomat.

'I don't think that that's a formal protest, that is what a thuggish regime would do,' she said. 'That is not how a responsible nation would behave.'

'Our diplomat was doing her job and we commend her work,' Ortagus added. 'This is what American diplomats do every single day around the world.'