Seoul should stop playing with fire by planning to deploy THAAD

by Xinhua writer Chen Shilei

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — South Korea should stop playing with fire by hosting the U.S. anti-missile system on its own soil, as the move will not only isolate itself but also undermine regional stability.

Less than two weeks ago, South Korea and the United States reached the agreement to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the southern region of South Korea, despite continued opposition from neighboring nations.

Although the two countries claimed THAAD will not target any other third party but will be operated only in response to nuclear and missile threats from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the deployment is no doubt a key step in the U.S. strategy of pivoting to Asia and will escalate tensions in Northeast Asia, especially on the Korean Peninsula.

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