The move disappointed family members who had flown to Hong Kong to spend the holiday with U.S. crew members, The New York Times reported.

The 8,000 crew members of the carrier and escort vessels were supposed to be in port at Hong Kong Wednesday for a five-day visit. However, China announced unexpectedly it was canceling the visit.

But China reversed its position Thursday and said the Kitty Hawk would be allowed to dock in Hong Kong for the Thanksgiving holiday.

At a regular Beijing news conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said issues of sovereignty had been involved in reversing the decision, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"Such a decision is out of humanitarian considerations, and decided on a case-by-case basis," Liu said.

Liu gave no explanation behind the original refusal to allow the ship in, Xinhua said.

Despite China's change of mind, the U.S. Navy said the flotilla was continuing to steam for Yokosuka in Japan, the Times said, and had no plans to turn around.

The Kitty Hawk is the Navy's oldest ship in active service. It was commissioned in 1961 and will return to the United States next year to be decommissioned.