China asks ROK, U.S. to stop THAAD deployment

China Tuesday asked the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to respect the security interests and concerns of China and other regional countries, and to stop the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks in response to a question regarding ROK protesters demanding THAAD be stopped ahead of a meeting between ROK and U.S. defense chiefs on Aug. 30.

THAAD deployment will not solve the security concerns of countries involved, Hua told a routine press briefing.

"Instead, it will obstruct the regional strategic balance, damage security interests of regional countries including China, and intensify tensions on the Korean Peninsula," she said.

China urged the ROK and United States to stop the THAAD deployment and withdraw related equipment, said the spokesperson.

The ROK Defense Minister Song Young-moo is scheduled to visit Washington this month to hold talks with his U.S. counterpart James Mattis on Aug. 30.

A group of anti-THAAD activists and residents living near the deployment site on Monday gathered outside the U.S. embassy in central Seoul, holding a press conference to demand the removal of the U.S. missile shield from ROK territory and appeal to the United States to stop pressuring the ROK for further deployment.