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| THAAD Test Launch |
China and Russia on Friday rapped US plans to put a missile defence system on the Korean peninsula, less than 24 hours after Pyongyang twice tested rockets thought to be capable of reaching American territory.
A series of missile tests and nuclear blasts by North Korea have pushed Seoul into talks with Washington about deploying the United States' sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD), which fires projectiles to smash into enemy missiles.
Beijing fears that the presence of more US hardware on its doorstep will further tip the balance of power in the Pacific towards Washington.
"We both are gravely concerned about the US's likely deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a briefing with his visiting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
"The move goes beyond the actual defence needs of relevant countries," Wang said.
"It will directly affect the strategic security of China and Russia respectively if it is deployed," he added.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily