South Korea Announces Site of THAAD Deployment (Photo : Getty Images)
After Michael Flynn, the choice of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to be national security adviser, met with South Korean officials on Monday, he said the deployment of the U.S. missile defense system was the right decision. The statement from Flynn and the bilateral meeting angered China.
Following Flynn’s statement, China warned the U.S. and South Korea about another round of THAAD deployment on the Korean peninsula, UPI reported. Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China’s Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday that Beijing is monitoring closely the position of the Trump side and South Korean side.
She added that China had aired its concern a few times over the use of the THAAD. “It has damaged the regional strategic balance and strategic security interests of neighboring countries with the US' deployment of THAAD in South Korea. At the same time, it is not conductive to maintaining the peace and stability of the Korea Peninsula,” Hua Chunying explained, CCTV reported.
China believes the THAAD radar would be used by Washington to monitor the country since the radar’s surveillance capacity is up to 620 miles. After South Korea deployed the THAAD when a political scandal broke late 2016 that led to the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Beijing questioned the legitimacy of South Korea’s decision.
Beijing is hoping for a change in South Korea’s position about the THAAD since the deployment was approved by the impeached president. To get even over the THAAD deployment, China banned South Korean artists from performing or holding fan meets in the country as well as the showing of Korean drama. However, because of the popularity of video streaming in China, Hallyu such as “Sound of Your Heart” is broadcast by Sohu TV of China.
Just when Beijing thought it got rid of the problem with South Korea with the impeachment of South Korea’s first female president with the possible replacement of a new president more favorable to China, Americans voted Trump who also is pro-THAAD.
But if China could muscle it ways around South Korea by the banning of Hallyu content and stars, could it do the same thing to the U.S.?
