Russia, China react angrily as U.S. to put anti-missile THAAD system in South Korea
(Worthy News) – China and Russia both issued angry responses to the news Friday that the Obama administration has reached an agreement with South Korea to install a highly advanced missile defense system based in its East Asian ally.
Washington and Seoul announced Friday morning a long-delayed agreement to deploy the “Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense” — THAAD — system in response to the growing nuclear threat from North Korea. One battery of the THAAD deployment, to be under U.S. military operational control, could be in place by the end of the year at a still-to-be-announced location.
China and Russia have long been opposed to the THAAD deployment on the Korean peninsula, which they fear could undercut their own deterrent capacity by potentially shooting down their missiles. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued almost immediately after the deployment was announced that it was “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed” to the idea, warning it will only exacerbate tensions in the region and upset the “strategic balance,” according to an account in the Xinhua official news service. [ Source ]