China, Russia rap US missile defence plan in S Korea

BEIJING — China and Russia yesterday rapped Washington’s plans to put a missile defence system in 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 has pushed Seoul into talks with Washington about deploying the United States’ sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense 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’ likely deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a briefing with his visiting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

“The move goes beyond the actual defence needs of relevant countries.

“It will directly affect the strategic security of China and Russia respectively if it is deployed.”

Mr Lavrov condemned Washington for using the North’s tests as “an excuse, as a pretext” to deploy what he called Washington’s “global antiballistic missile defence”.

This week’s North Korean rocket tests failed, but Pyongyang has now made three bids in two weeks to test-fly a Musudan missile, which is capable of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam.

In recent months, the North has claimed a series of major technical breakthroughs in developing what it sees as the ultimate goal of its nuclear drive: An intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a warhead to targets across the continental US.

“The current situation in the peninsula is indeed in a highly dangerous period,” said Mr Wang, adding that proper implementation of United Nations resolutions barring the North from developing any ballistic missile-related technology is key to bringing the country to the negotiating table.

China is the North’s biggest trading partner and its key aid provider.

South Korean military officials say the North is desperate to register a successful launch ahead of next week’s ruling party Congress, at which leader Kim Jong-un is expected to cement his leadership and formally declare the country a nuclear-armed state.

Seoul added yesterday that Pyongyang has tightened security ahead of the May 6 event attended by thousands of delegates, with authorities keen to avoid any “mishap”.

“Strengthening security can be seen as a measure to prevent mishaps over the party Congress,” Mr Cheong Joon-hee, spokesman at South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which oversees dealings with the North, told a briefing.

North Korea has in the past taken such steps ahead of major events and has at times also shut down its border with China for the same reason, added Mr Cheong. AGENCIES