China Def Min-US 'Pushing Up Regional Tensions' In South China Sea

(MNI) London- Wires carrying comments from the Chinese Defence Ministry regarding last night's "The US continues to strengthen its military deployment in the South China Sea, deliberately pushing up regional tensions, regional countries should remain [on] high alert to it."

• There has been some very slight signals of intent from both the US and China to cool tensions in recent days. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a speech talked down the prospect of economic decoupling from China, instead using the more measured 'de-risking' often used by European nations. On the Chinese side, President Xi Jinping's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 26 April in which he positioned China as a potential mediator in the war with Russia could be seen as a nod to the West that Beijing is not intending to militarily support Moscow.
• The comments from the Defence Ministry come in the wake of the announcement that the US would provide South Korea with more insight into its nuclear planning while also resuming the docking of nuclear submarines in South Korean ports. On a state visit to the US South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol re-committed his country to not developing nuclear weapons.
• China held military exercises in the vicinity of the South China Sea earlier today between 0900-1300 local time.