BEIJING - Chinese smartphone maker Vivo said on Tuesday it will suspend all cooperation with the National Basketball Association (NBA), joining a series of Chinese firms cutting ties with the league following a tweet by a Houston Rockets executive supporting Hong Kong's protesters.

Vivo, in a statement published on social media platform Weibo, said it is strongly dissatisfied with Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's comments on Hong Kong and the NBA's stance on the matter.

Vivo was a key sponsor for the upcoming exhibition games to be played in Shanghai and Shenzhen later this week by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets.