Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his Russian counterpart that Moscow and Beijing should work together to maintain a strategic balance in Northeast Asia, in a thinly veiled warning against the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense shield in South Korea.
Wang made the remarks during a bilateral meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, according to a script of his remarks published by China's foreign ministry on Wednesday.
"China and Russia should jointly promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintain peace and stability on the peninsula, and maintain the strategic balance in the region," Wang was quoted as telling his counterpart.
Russia and China have long voiced opposition to the possible deployment of the advanced U.S. missile shield or a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense unit, in South Korea.
China, North Korea's economic and diplomatic lifeline, has expressed strong opposition to the presence of a THAAD system in South Korea, arguing that the system can be used against it.
South Korea and the U.S. have repeatedly assured that the missile system is aimed only at better defending South Korea against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
The U.N. Security Council adopted tougher sanctions against North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and launch of a long-range missile in February.
Despite tougher sanctions, North Korea has continued to conduct ballistic-missile launches, and there have been signs that the North may conduct a fifth nuclear test in the near future. (Yonhap)
