China concerned over THAAD missile system issue

The United States hopes to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea “as quickly as possible” and the two countries will begin formal discussions on the matter “in the next few days”, the Defense Department said Monday.

North Korea, which calls its launches part of a peaceful space program, said it had successfully put a new Earth observation satellite, the Kwangmyongsong 4, or Shining Star 4, into orbit less than 10 minutes after liftoff.

“The two leaders agreed for the two countries to cooperate closely for the adoption of strong and effective sanctions resolutions as a united response by the global community against the North’s nuclear test, and a rocket launch using ballistic missile technology”, Ms Park’s office said in a statement.

6 that it had once again conducted a nuclear test, this time of a hydrogen bomb, China and the USA both denounced the action and urged North Korea to honor its global commitments.

Should the USA respond against North Korea? The launch prompted talks between the USA and South Korea to give South Korea a new missile defense system.

The North Korea test prompted South Korea and the United States to state that they would explore whether to deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea “at the earliest possible date”.

China on Sunday expressed “regret” over North Korea’s controversial satellite launch, but advised that the situation must be dealt with calmly and through sustained dialogue.

Ahead of North Korea’s widely condemned rocket launch on Sunday, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense threatened to shoot down the projectile if it approached its territory.

“China holds a consistent and clear stance on the anti-missile issue”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Sunday.

Tokyo imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006, but it relaxed a travel ban and restrictions on cash transfers in 2014 to reward Pyongyang for looking into the fates of the abductees.

The flight path of the latest rocket was also similar to the 2012 launch vehicle, whose 1st stage debris was recovered by South Korea off its western coast.

South Korean officials have resisted previous efforts to place the weapons system on their territory because THAAD’s radar systems would be able to scan territory that includes mainland China, a no-go with Beijing.