The United States reiterated Wednesday that the THAAD missile defense system it wants to place in South Korea is a purely defensive system that won't affect China's strategic deterrent.
The State Department gave the reaction in response to Chinese President Xi Jinping's expression of opposition to the potential deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea aimed at defending against missile threats from North Korea.
Xi said during a meeting in Beijing with visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn that Seoul should "attach importance to Beijing's legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States' plan to deploy" the THAAD system, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The State Department rejected China's concern.
"As we have long said, THAAD is a purely defensive system designed to counter short- and medium-range regional ballistic missiles. It would not impact China's strategic deterrent," State Department spokesperson Katina Adams told Yonhap News Agency.
Following the North's long-range missile test in February, Seoul and Washington launched official talks about placing a THAAD battery in the South to bolster defense against missile threats from the communist nation.
The issue has drawn renewed attention due to the North's recent series of ballistic missile tests, including two launches last week of the Musudan intermediate-range missile that is believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, a forward base for U.S. bombers.
THAAD has been a sensitive issue because of China's strong opposition to it. Beijing claims that THAAD, especially a powerful radar that comes with it, can be used against it, despite repeated assurances from Washington that the system is aimed only at deterring North Korean threats. (Yonhap)
