The U.S. government issued its clearest stance so far on the issue of Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense deployment in Korea through the visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-young, Blinken said, “There is no decision on THAAD. There are no active discussions on THAAD.”
Despite the denial of active discussions on THAAD, a position also shared by Seoul, Blinken went onto explain that THAAD is a system that is “purely defensive and it is aimed exclusively at dealing with the threat posed by North Korea,” before retreating a step to say “but all this is premature because there is no decision on it and if we are to move forward, there will be full consultation with the government here.”
The deployment of THAAD in Korea became a hot issue as Blinken had appeared to suggest the possibility of the system being deployed here. Last week, during a Twitter interview, Blinken was asked what his thoughts were on China’s opposition to THAAD deployment in Korea, to which he replied, “missile defense on Peninsula, including possibly THAAD, directed against DPRK: the greatest source of regional instability.”
The possibility of THAAD being deployed on the Korean Peninsula has irked the Chinese government, which views it as a threat to Chinese security: The THAAD battery includes X-band radar capable of detecting movements in China.
China has repeatedly voiced its concerns about THAAD deployment in Korea, most recently through State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan. Chang expressed concerns over U.S. the deployment of THAAD in Korea during a meeting with Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo on Feb. 4. This was the first time that a ranking Chinese official has publicly raised the issue of THAAD in Korea. Han responded by reaffirming Seoul’s position that Washington has not made any decision on the matter and has not asked Korea for consultation, adding, “No agreement between Seoul and Washington exists on the issue.”
During a press conference on May 5, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said what sounded like a vague threat: “We hope that countries can properly deal with relevant issues in the larger interest of regional peace and stability and bilateral relations.”
China may be feeling threatened by the possibility of THAAD deployment in Korea. However, as both Seoul and Washington have said, it is, as of yet, only a possibility. To allay China’s concerns, Seoul and Washington have said THAAD is a defense system that is aimed at North Korean threats. If it still has concerns, Beijing should take them up directly with Washington and stop pressuring Seoul over the matter. After all, it is the U.S. that will be deploying the system, if it comes to that.
China is Korea’s largest trading partner and the relations between the two are becoming stronger as Beijing’s ties with Pyongyang have chilled. However, Korea also is an ally of the U.S. and hosts some 29,000 U.S. troops on the peninsula.
In all the hullabaloo over THAAD, Korea should not allow China to drive a wedge between it and the U.S. China should also consider other countries’ security interests when pursuing its own security interests, as its foreign ministry spokesperson put it.
