China and Russia have sent intelligence-gathering vessels to 'chase' Donald Trump's armada to North Korean waters, it has been claimed.

The US President has dispatched the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, powered by nuclear reactors, carrying almost 100 aircraft and accompanied by destroyers, a cruiser, and a submarine to the Korean Peninsula.

But there are reports in the region that the fleet is now being tracked by vessels belonging to the Chinese and Russian navies amid mounting concern over America's deployment.

The claims were made by multiple sources of the Japanese government, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.

China and Russia have sent intelligence-gathering vessels to 'chase' Donald Trump's armada to North Korean waters, it has been claimed. The giant USS Carl Vinson (file picture) is among the ships steaming towards the Korean Peninsula

US Vice President Mike Pence on Monday warned Kim Jong-un (centre) not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that 'all options are on the table' for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes

They are reportedly planning to strengthen 'warning and surveillance activities' in the area.

It comes as Russia warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea, after US Vice President Mike Pence said the era of 'strategic patience' with Pyongyang was over.

'This is a very risky path,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow.

'We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law,' he said.

'I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.'

Pence on Monday warned North Korea not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that 'all options are on the table' for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test. On Saturday, Pyongyang showed off its military strength during a huge parade

Pence said that the era of US 'strategic patience' in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades

Pence said that the era of US 'strategic patience' in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

'In the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan,' Pence said.

'North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States.'

US DEPLOYS HIGH-TECH MISSILE SYSTEM Anti-Pyongyang defences will be strengthened with the early deployment of the THAAD missile defence system in South Korea, Pence has confirmed. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Plans to send the rockets to South Korea were unveiled last month, sparking fury in Pyongyang. China is also opposed to the deployment, claiming the system's powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight (file picture) Pence and acting South Korea president Hwang Kyo-ahn said today they were troubled by 'China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself.' Seoul, which accuses China or discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the US say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. THAAD, which has six truck-mounted launchers that can fire up to 48 interceptor missiles per battery, is set up to take out incoming targets at relatively high altitudes midflight. A THAAD battery also includes fire control and communication equipment, as well as radar for detecting target projectiles and initiating the interception process. U.S. defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, which manufactures THAAD, says on its website that the system has had '100 percent mission success' in flight testing since 2005. Advertisement

Meanwhile, North Korea has not responded this month to requests from senior Chinese diplomats, including the country's foreign minister, to meet North Korean counterparts, amid rising tension with the United States, Bloomberg reported today.

Citing unidentified sources, the report said China's special envoy for the North Korea nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, was the other official whose requests for meetings went unanswered.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Last week, the ministry twice said it had no information to provide on whether Wu would be going to North Korea.

Tension has risen as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and pursued nuclear and missile programmes that Washington sees as a direct threat.

China today also denied any political motive in the cancellation of flights by its flag carrier to North Korea, as pressure mounts on Beijing to help curb Pyongyang's weapons programmes.

State broadcaster CCTV reported last Friday that Air China had suspended its Beijing-Pyongyang route, leading to speculation the move was intended to pressure the North.

But foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang distanced his government from the decision and said it was purely 'market-based'.

'It's natural for Air China or other airlines to make such decisions,' Lu told a regular press briefing. 'There shouldn't be overinterpretation of this issue.'

Beijing is Pyongyang's only major ally and biggest trade partner. It is being urged by the Trump administration to do more to rein in the North's missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

In February China announced it was halting all imports of coal from North Korea - a crucial earner for Pyongyang - for the rest of the year.

A customer service representative for Air China, the only foreign carrier operating a regular commercial flight to North Korea, said Monday it had cancelled the flights due to low demand.

'Air China has not suspended operations for the Beijing-Pyongyang route,' the employee told AFP, adding 'these flights were cancelled based on ticket sales.'

An operator reached through the airline's customer service hotline said the booking system indicated that the earliest available Beijing-Pyongyang flight was for March next year.

Travel disruption also hit North Korea's flag carrier Air Koryo, which saw its Beijing-bound service delayed more than ten hours on Monday.

Donald Trump said China was 'working with us' on the issue – the first confirmation the two nations were collaborating

Workers at Pyongyang airport told passengers the delay was weather-related, although conditions in the area and in Beijing appeared clear.

Major Chinese travel agencies also told AFP they have stopped offering tours to North Korea due to lack of interest.

'We didn't receive any request to take the trips off the shelf - the reason was poor sales,' Wang Mi, a spokeswoman for the online travel company Tuniu.com, told AFP.

Gan Tingting, a spokeswoman for tourism booking site Lvmama.com, said trips to North Korea had long been discontinued because the country was 'not a hot destination'.

Foreign companies bringing tour groups to North Korea, however, have seen no dip in demand.

'We're business as usual,' said Matt Kulesza, media officer for Young Pioneer Tours.

Beijing-based Koryo Tours likewise said in a statement that none of their tours have been cancelled or cut short.

'There have been no issues with our scheduled Air Koryo flights or the train back into China,' it said.

President Donald Trump has personally underscored the importance of China's cooperation in tackling North Korea.

Having blasted Beijing throughout his presidential campaign for alleged currency manipulation, he tweeted Sunday: 'Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!'