US using deployment of missile system in the ROK as way to pressure China

THE DEPLOYMENT OF a US missile defense system in the Republic of Korea seems to have been delayed after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the United States last week. A joint working group between Washington and Seoul on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, which was due to begin work last Tuesday, was delayed at the request of the US. However, the postponed deployment of THAAD does not mean the US government has given up on it, Beijing News warned on Monday:

Whether or not the anti-missile system will be deployed in the ROK, has a lot to do with China's stance on sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea after the DPRK conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan 6 and launched an Earth-observation satellite apparently to test ballistic missile technology on Feb 7.

Washington has refused to give a definite answer as to whether the system will be deployed in the ROK, and it will use it as a bargaining chip to pressure China.