US deploy missiles to THAAD increasing tensions in region

World Today

US deploy missiles to THAAD increasing tensions in region

The United States has begun its deployment of a ballistic missile defense system in South Korea, a move that China calls destabilizing and dangerous.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system known as THAAD is designed to shoot down missiles before they hit their target. The U.S. said it is being deployed against the DPRK. But the system could also collect data and target missiles from China, Russia and elsewhere.

CGTN’s Nathan King reports.

Despite strong Chinese, Russian, and some South Korean objections, the Trump administration are rolling out the THAAD missile system quickly. According to Seoul, the system could now be operational by April.

Washington says the deployment is in response to increasingly sophisticated missile launches and nuclear tests by Pyongyang.

Washington’s deployment of the THAAD system comes as the U.S. is conducting joint military exercises with the South Korea.

These annual exercises simulate a war with the north and always raise tensions. The deployment of THAAD adds to the friction on the Korean peninsula.

But the effects of the THAAD deployment go far beyond there. THAAD’s range and data gathering capabilities mean that the system can track Chinese and Russian missile activity—further destabilizing the strategic balance in North Asia.

China is considering a range of responses saying it’ll take “firm and necessary steps” to safeguard its security.


Sourabh Gupta discusses the deployment of THAAD

For more on the deployment of THAAD, CGTN’s Mike Walter spoke with Sourabh Gupta. He’s an Asia-Pacific international relations specialist with the Institute for China-America Studies.