China: Sharp Response to South Korea and Pentagon Announcement of New Site for THAAD Deployment

PRESS RELEASE

China: Sharp Response to South Korea and Pentagon Announcement of New Site for THAAD Deployment

Sept. 30, 2016 (EIRNS)—South Korea and the U.S. forces command in Seoul announced that they have chosen a new site for the deployment of the THAAD missile system, after strong opposition from residents of the originally announced site forced a change. But opposition to the new site emerged immediately. The mayor of a nearby town launched a hunger strike on Wednesday, and a local Buddhist community held a press conference condemning the THAADs.

China also issued a strongly worded statement, repeating that THAAD and its radar system are a direct threat to China and Russia, and would be useless against a North Korea attack. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang called on the United States and South Korea to halt the deployment, and to do more to benefit regional peace and stability, facing up to the reasonable concerns of regional countries, including China, reports Xinhua today.

The chosen site is a golf course in the southeastern part of the country.

Geng said:

"We keep repeating our position that the deployment of the THAAD missile system by the United States and the R.O.K. [Republic of Korea] will not address the concerns of relevant parties, contribute to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, or aid the peace and stability of the Peninsula."

He added that China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national security.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun added that Beijing means what it says when mentioning possible countermeasures to the missile defense system.

"We will pay close attention to relevant developments, and consider taking necessary actions to protect national strategic security and the regional strategic balance,"

he said.