China reiterated its long-standing opposition to THAAD deployments on the Korean Peninsula after foreign reports said the U.S. Department of Defense moved some THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) batteries from South Korea to the Middle East. Beijing offered no further comment.
Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆), a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a regular press briefing on the 11th that Beijing has been following the reports and that its opposition to THAAD deployments in South Korea remains unchanged. When asked whether China would object if the systems were later returned to South Korea from the Middle East, he declined to elaborate.
Analysts say the comment underscores that, regardless of recent moves to reposition some THAAD assets amid developments tied to Iran, Beijing still views THAAD on the peninsula as a threat to its strategic security interests.
Earlier, The Washington Post reported the U.S. Department of Defense moved some THAAD batteries and Patriot interceptor assets from South Korea to the Middle East to strengthen air defense postures.
According to Beijing diplomatic sources, China has consistently protested the 2016 decision to deploy THAAD in South Korea, saying the move undermines Beijing's strategic security interests. The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly warned that U.S. THAAD deployments in South Korea upset the region's strategic balance.
|
Analysts say the comment underscores that, regardless of recent moves to reposition some THAAD assets amid developments tied to Iran, Beijing still views THAAD on the peninsula as a threat to its strategic security interests.
Earlier, The Washington Post reported the U.S. Department of Defense moved some THAAD batteries and Patriot interceptor assets from South Korea to the Middle East to strengthen air defense postures.
According to Beijing diplomatic sources, China has consistently protested the 2016 decision to deploy THAAD in South Korea, saying the move undermines Beijing's strategic security interests. The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly warned that U.S. THAAD deployments in South Korea upset the region's strategic balance.
