US missile deployment plan a dangerous miscalculation

The Pentagon announced on Monday it had successfully tested an intermediate-range missile, the first such test since the United States formally withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed with the Cold War-era Soviet Union.

In a Fox News Channel interview on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said it was intended "to deter Chinese bad behavior".

This, along with his earlier revelation of the US intention to deploy ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia and State Department Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Andrea Thompson's disclosure of consultations with allies and partners regarding such deployment, cannot but raise serious security concerns on the part of Beijing.