China, Russia agree response to Thaad

China and Russia have agreed further unspecified “countermeasures” in response to a US plan to deploy an anti-missile system in South Korea, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday. They “will be aimed at safeguarding interests of China and Russia and the strategic balance in the region,” Xinhua said, citing a statement released after a China-Russia security meeting.

China and Russia held a joint anti-missile drill last May after Washington and Seoul began discussions over installing the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to counter what they claim were threats by North Korea.

 THAAD is due to be deployed on a South Korean golf course. China and Russia believe the system’s powerful radar will compromise their security and do nothing to lower tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

China and Russia said in October they would hold a second drill this year. “China and Russia urged the United States and South Korea to address their security concerns and stop the deployment of THAAD on the Korean Peninsula,” Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.

The report gave no details and a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said yesterday only that China has a legitimate right to defend its security interests. “China believes it is a serious threat to China’s security interests and for the region,” Lu Kang said at a daily briefing. “I believe that as long as our country has legitimate security concerns, it is understandable that necessary measures be taken to safeguard such interests.”

China has campaigned against the deployment, warning of unspecified retaliation and leading to a downturn in relations with South Korea. China says the system’s radar can peer deep into its territory, allowing the US to monitor flights and missile launches and potentially making it capable of launching a pre-emptive strike.

China’s efforts could now be bearing fruit, with a possible South Korean presidential contender saying last month that THAAD’s security benefits would be outweighed by worsened relations with China and Russia.

Liberal opposition politician Moon Jae-in downplayed concerns that backtracking by South Korea on the plans would cause tension with the US.

China might exert pressure by canceling planned or potential business deals and cultural or educational exchanges, said Denny Roy, of the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

It could also send Chinese coast guard ships to escort fishing boats into waters claimed by South Korea, and dispatch military aircraft and ships into South Korean air and sea space, Roy said. “China still has a large number of strings it could pull to punish South Korea,” he said. Militarily, Russia and China could deploy more missiles, analysts said, especially those with maneuverable warheads to overwhelm THAAD.