Pence says US supercarrier will arrive in Sea of Japan in days

Warship in Australia for military drills but is ‘on her way up’

SEOUL // The supercarrier Vinson will arrive in the Sea of Japan in days, US vice president Mike Pence said yesterday, after days of mixed messages over the strike group’s location.

The USS Carl Vinson was supposedly steaming towards North Korea the week before last amid soaring tensions over the country’s apparent preparations for a sixth nuclear test, with Pyongyang threatening to hit back at any provocation.

But the US navy, which earlier said the aircraft carrier would sail north from waters off Singapore as a “prudent measure” to deter the North Korean regime, admitted on Tuesday that the ship had been sent away from Singapore and towards Australia to conduct drills with the Australian navy.

The aircraft carrier will arrive “in a matter of days”, Mr Pence said yesterday in Sydney. “We are sending an armada. Very powerful,” US president Donald Trump said on April 12, two days after Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said the Vinson was “on her way up”.

“The authorities of the Trump administration are spouting a load of rubbish,” a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said yesterday.

The US is “seeking to bring nuclear aircraft carrier strike groups one after another to the waters off the Korean Peninsula. Such intimidation and blackmail can never frighten North Korea.” Mr Pence also renewed US calls yesterday for Beijing to use its “unique” position to bring Pyongyang to heel.

“The steps we’re seeing China take, in many ways unprecedented steps, bringing economic pressure to bear on North Korea are very welcome,” he said. “China can do more.” US officials have repeatedly warned that all options were on the table, including military strikes to curb the North’s nuclear ambitions.

The US renewed calls for Beijing to use unique position to bring Pyongyang to heel