A THAAD battery. (Photo : US Army)
South Korea's stubbornness in choosing to deploy the U.S.-made Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system onto its soil this year "is against the will of the Chinese people," argues an op-ed in the website of the People's Liberation Army.
South Korea's decision that ignored China's interests, concerns and repeated warnings has also "seriously undermined the regional strategic balance and damaged national strategic security interests of countries in this region, including China.
It is not conducive to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," said Luo Yuan, a retired Major General, and member of the Academic Committee of the Academy of Military Science of the People's Liberation Army, a military think tank.
As there now seems to be nothing China can do to dissuade the South Korean government, Luo recommends 10 countermeasures China can take against Seoul.
As its first countermeasure, China should announce the golf course owned by the Lotte Group on which THAAD will be emplaced is "a high-risk area that poses a military threat to China."
China can conduct surgical strikes using missiles to destroy this THAAD battery so South Koreans realize THAAD brings danger and not security to their country.
Second, China should rapidly deploy anti-radiation missiles within Chinese territory targeting THAAD's X-band radar. Third, China should strengthen the defenses of its missile batteries that will launch these surgical strikes.
Fourth, China should deploy more ballistic missiles to overwhelm THAAD by sheer numbers. This move will also send the message that for China, the best defense is attack. Fifth, China should strengthen military cooperation with Russia.
Sixth, China should refuse to cooperate with the U.S., Japan and South Korea in certain global and regional security affairs. Luo said "China should never respect the security concerns of other countries at the cost of its own national security interests."
Seventh, China should take punitive measures against Korean industrial chains and commercial chains related to the deployment of the THAAD.
Eighth, China should boycott South Korea's Lotte Group's merchandise. It should also cancel or suspend certain projects of the Lotte Group in China, "so as to let the Group pay a heavy price for its wrong decision."
Ninth, China should limit the number of Chinese tourists travelling to "sensitive areas" in South Korea and send travel safety warnings to Chinese tourists in these areas to prevent South Korea "from causing troubles in the name of national security."
Tenth, China should distribute a policy statement on the THAAD issue through the United Nations and foreign offices oversea to clarify the security hazards caused by the THAAD. China should also try to win sympathy and understanding from the international community.
