China urges withdrawal of US THAAD missile defence system in South Korea

China expresses concern as the US military starts moving parts of its controversial THAAD anti-missile defence system to a deployment site in South Korea


Protesters and police stand by as trailers carrying US THAAD missile defence equipment enter a deployment site in Seongju, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Protesters and police stand by as trailers carrying US THAAD missile defence equipment enter a deployment site in Seongju, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Beijing: China said on Wednesday it had expressed serious concern to Washington and Seoul after the US military started moving parts of its controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to a deployment site in South Korea.

Speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China urged the US and South Korea to withdraw the system.

Seoul and Washington say the sole purpose of the THAAD anti-missile defence system is to defend against North Korean missiles, but China is concerned the system’s powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security and has repeatedly expressed opposition to it. Reuters