China: US anti-missile defense in South Korea damages the security of China and Russia
The THAAD missile system deployed on the territory of South Korea violates the strategic balance in the region, as well as damages the security of several countries, including China and Russia, TASS quotes Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying.
"The Chinese side has already expressed strong protest and serious concern," the Chinese leader said, adding that the US anti-missile defense system "will not help denuclearization on the Korean peninsula."
"The Chinese side has put forward a 'two-track parallel approach,' meaning the parallel advancement of denuclearization and the creation of a peace mechanism, as well as the idea of a 'double freeze' of North Korea's nuclear missile activities and large-scale joint exercises by the United States and the Republic of Korea. The Russian side has clearly expressed support on this issue," Xi Jinping said.
The agreement on the deployment of THAAD in South Korea was reached in July 2016. Full deployment of the system is planned for the end of 2017. The high-tech interceptors are intended to protect Seoul from North Korean ballistic missiles.