Chi urges S. Korea, US to pull back THAAD equipment

Beijing, April 26: Hours after the deployment of a US advanced defence shield went into full swing in South Korea, Beijing on Wednesday strongly urged Seoul and Washington to pull back the equipment, warning that the installation would further heighten tensions in the region.

Six trailers carrying the high-profile X-band radar of the Termil High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, mobile launchers and other elements were seen entering the deployment site in the south-eastern county of Seongju, North Gyeongsang province, starting around midnight.

The radar and launchers, key elements of the missile interception system, are likely to go into test operation in the near future, Yonhap news agency reported.  “We have already expressed our grave concerns to the South Korean and US governments,” Chi’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a press briefing after being asked Chi’s stance on the deployment.

“The deployment of THAAD in South Korea would destroy the strategic balance and incite a further rise in the tensions,” he said. (IANS)