China, Russia slam US plan to deploy THAAD missiles in South Korea

China and Russia have accused the US of damaging global and regional stability by deciding to deploy missile defence systems in South Korea to counter threats emanating from nuclear-capable North Korea.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) plan is not conducive to settling the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and will seriously damage the national security interests of countries, including China and Russia, said Maj Gen Cai Jun from the Joint Staff Department under China’s Central Military Commission.

THAAD, an advanced missile defence system the US plans to deploy in South Korea, apparently does not conform to its alleged purpose and is not conducive to the peninsula’s peace and stability, Cai said at a press briefing jointly held by Chinese and Russian armed forces on the sidelines of the 7^th Xiangshan Forum here.

“China resolutely opposes the THAAD plan and strongly urges the United States and ROK to change their minds,” he said.

The US’ unilateral and “unconstructive” design of missile defence systems will cause the global security environment to deteriorate, damage global strategic balance and regional security and stability and hinder the process of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, he said. “It may trigger a new wave of the arms race,” Cai said.

China has insisted on political and diplomatic efforts from concerned parties to achieve common security, stability and cooperation, he added.

Lt Gen Viktor Poznikhir, from Russian military’s General Staff, also said the US missile manoeuvre has negatively affected global strategic stability.

The US’ deployment of anti-missile systems in Europe and Asia-Pacific is aimed at curbing Russia’s and China’s strategic nuclear strength and consolidating the US hegemony, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Poznikhir as saying.

He said Russia doubted the US’ claims that THAAD is needed to defend against missiles from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The anti-missile system is strategically assaultive, which aims to establish absolute advantage over any potential rivals worldwide, Poznikhir said.

He also reiterated a Sino-Russian proposal that related parties should conclude a treaty through negotiation on preventing the deployment of weapons in outer-space and preventing the use of or threatening to use weapons against outer-space objects.

Russia also wants the US to make a legally binding pledge that its European anti-missile system will not target Russia’s strategic nuclear force, he said.