World

Chinese Defense Ministry Denies Bombers On ‘High Alert’ For Korean Contingency

REUTERS/Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/Handout via Reuters

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Ryan Pickrell China/Asia Pacific Reporter
Font Size:

China denied Friday reports it put cruise-missile-capable bombers on high alert for a crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

“The reports are not true,” the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said Friday. “The Chinese army is maintaining a normal combat readiness and training state on the border between China and North Korea.”

The U.S. detected signs that China had mobilized its bombers for a “a North Korea contingency,’ a U.S. defense official told CNN Thursday.

Defense officials told Fox News the same, adding: “It’s hard to divine their intentions.”

A few hours after the new broke, President Donald Trump, without referencing Chinese military actions specifically, said: “Some very unusual moves have been made over the past two or three hours” by China.

In recent weeks, there have been reports that China moved 150,000 troops to the Chinese-North Korean border and put all five of its military regions on high alert for a possible conflict or emergency situation on the peninsula. Some reports have proven untrue, and others are difficult to verify.

It is unclear whether the Chinese defense ministry is covering its tracks or the latest reports are indeed inaccurate.

Follow Ryan on Twitter

Send tips to ryan@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.