US disinvites China from military exercises - Reuters

As reported by Reuters, the United States military has 'disinvited' China from major naval drills following accusations from the US that Beijing is militarizing islands in the South China Sea. China responded by calling the decision "unconstructive".

“As an initial response to China’s continued militarization of the South China Sea we have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise,” said Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman.

Logan did not specify what else the U.S. government might do to respond but stressed there was “strong evidence” that China had deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands.

“We find that a very unconstructive move,” China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, told reporters in Washington after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

 - Reuters

Tensions are already on the rise once again between the US and China as US President Trump poured water on hopes that things were cooling down this week. Trump has noted his dissatisfaction with current trade negotiations.