Chinese and US troops deployed as war looms in North Korea

China deployed 150,000 troops to the North Korean border on Tuesday in anticipation of a US strike against the Pyongyang regime, according to Chinese social media reported in the British press.

Medical supplies and equipment are being deployed to deal with the refugees fleeing across the border in the event of a war on the peninsula.

US President Donald Trump is weighing up options on military action to neutralise North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s nuclear programme, including strikes on weapons installations, Fox News reports.

Pyongyang reacted in a strongly-worded statement to media at the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier with 5,000 troops and 60 jets off the peninsula. Officials said that “reckless acts of aggression” by the United States, justifies “self-defensive and pre-emptive strike capabilities with the nuclear force at the core.”

Tensions in the South China Sea come as G7 ministers meet in Italy to discuss rising geopolitical conflicts.