Agreement for THAAD talks does not mean system deployment: U.S. Pacific Commander
It seems like Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's meeting with his U.S. counterpart... has exerted influence over Washington's THAAD stance,...while making it clear that China still considers denuclearization and peace treaty talks as being the better option.
Oh Soo-young fills us in on the Top Chinese diplomat's moves
Has Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry led to a shift in Washington's decision to deploy its anti-ballistic missile defense system in South Korea?
That seems to be the case as the U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris Jr. said neither Seoul nor Washington have agreed to put a THAAD in South Korea at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.
The military's top commander in the Pacific also made clear that the decision to discuss the deployment of THAAD does not necessarily mean the two allies will deploy the system, leaving room for possible changes in the future.
In the wake of North Korea's long-range missile launch, Seoul and Washington were set to sign an agreement on holding talks to deploy the THAAD system in South Korea, aimed at deterring Pyongyang's nuclear threats.
But this was abruptly postponed on Tuesday ahead of a meeting between Wang and Kerry in Washington.
Adding to speculations that China's strong opposition to deploying THAAD in the Korean peninsula may have played a role in the setback, the Chinese diplomat had strong words against the deployment.
"I must point out that the X-band radar associated with the THAAD system has a radius that goes far beyond the Korean peninsula and reaches into the interior of China.
// We believe China's legitimate security concerns must be taken into account and a convincing explanation must be provided to China."
Wang also strongly pushed for holding both denuclearization and peace treaty talks in parallel, a stance that conflicts with Washington.
The U.S. had maintained there will be no talks to formally end the Korean War, unless North Korea giv
Oh Soo-young fills us in on the Top Chinese diplomat's moves
Has Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry led to a shift in Washington's decision to deploy its anti-ballistic missile defense system in South Korea?
That seems to be the case as the U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris Jr. said neither Seoul nor Washington have agreed to put a THAAD in South Korea at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.
The military's top commander in the Pacific also made clear that the decision to discuss the deployment of THAAD does not necessarily mean the two allies will deploy the system, leaving room for possible changes in the future.
In the wake of North Korea's long-range missile launch, Seoul and Washington were set to sign an agreement on holding talks to deploy the THAAD system in South Korea, aimed at deterring Pyongyang's nuclear threats.
But this was abruptly postponed on Tuesday ahead of a meeting between Wang and Kerry in Washington.
Adding to speculations that China's strong opposition to deploying THAAD in the Korean peninsula may have played a role in the setback, the Chinese diplomat had strong words against the deployment.
"I must point out that the X-band radar associated with the THAAD system has a radius that goes far beyond the Korean peninsula and reaches into the interior of China.
// We believe China's legitimate security concerns must be taken into account and a convincing explanation must be provided to China."
Wang also strongly pushed for holding both denuclearization and peace treaty talks in parallel, a stance that conflicts with Washington.
The U.S. had maintained there will be no talks to formally end the Korean War, unless North Korea giv