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THAAD is US ploy to destabilize region

By Zhu Ping | China Daily | Updated: 2016-07-09 07:34

Some elements use the excuse of being good to others to show their true colors. This is especially true for the United States. It has eventually persuaded the Republic of Korea to allow its missile defense system to be installed on ROK soil. Despite the vehement opposition from China and Russia, the THAAD, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, system is ready to be deployed in the ROK, Washington and Seoul said on Friday.

The US has been trying to justify the necessity of THAAD on the pretext of protecting its allies from the nuclear threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But the truth is, Washington's move serves its "pivot to Asia" strategy perfectly at the cost of ROK's interests. The advanced anti-missile system, if deployed in the ROK, will not only escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but also break the strategic balance and widen the trust deficit among the regional powers.

Seoul is about 200 kilometers from Pyongyang. So using THAAD to detect nuclear threats from the DPRK is somewhat like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. THAAD can detect threats as far as 2,000 km, and therefore any missile tests conducted by Beijing in Northeast, North or East China will be under US surveillance. As such, THAAD poses the most serious military threat to China and Russia - it will enable the US to keep a close eye on the military activities of both China and Russia. Given this fact, should China and Russia deploy similar defense systems in Mexico or Canada?

THAAD is US ploy to destabilize region

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