04 July 2017

News Story: THAAD jeopardizes regional strategic balance - Xi

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. deployment of an advanced anti-missile system in South Korea gravely harms the strategic security interests of China, Russia and other countries in the region, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said.

In an interview with Russian media published Monday, Xi pointed out that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) installation jeopardizes the strategic balance in the region and is unhelpful to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining regional peace and stability.

China and Russia have kept close communication and coordination at various levels on the issue, and hold very similar views on its essence and damage, said Xi, whose country has unequivocally rejected the move.

He added that Beijing and Moscow are steadfastly opposed to the THAAD deployment and seriously suggest that relevant countries stop and cancel the installation.

The two countries, he said, will take necessary measures, jointly or individually, to safeguard their national security interests and the regional strategic balance.

Read the full story at Xinhua