30 May 2014

News Story: Beijing responds to deployment of missile system to South Korea


Qin Gang, spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, expressed the nation's opposition to the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile defense system to South Korea at a press conference on May 28, reports the Chinese-language Beijing Morning Post.

Sources from the Pentagon told the Wall Street Journal on May 27 that Washington had made its decision to deploy the system to South Korea. Designed by Lockheed Martin, the primary purpose of the system is to intercept enemy ballistic missile at high or medium altitude. On the battlefield it can coordinate with the PAC-3 missile designed to destroy ballistic missiles or aircraft at low altitude. The US plans to purchase seven of the systems; only three of them are currently in service.

This deployment will strengthen the military cooperation among the United States, Japan and South Korea in anticipation of potential conflict with North Korea or even China.

Read the full story at Want China Times