The U.S. deployment of an advanced anti-missile system in South Korea gravely harms the strategic security interests of China, Russia and other countries in the region, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said.[Special coverage]
In an interview with Russian media published Monday, Xi pointed out that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) installation jeopardizes the strategic balance in the region and is unhelpful to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining regional peace and stability.
China and Russia have kept close communication and coordination at various levels on the issue, and hold very similar views on its essence and damage, said Xi, whose country has unequivocally rejected the move.
He added that Beijing and Moscow are steadfastly opposed to the THAAD deployment and seriously suggest that relevant countries stop and cancel the installation.
The two countries, he said, will take necessary measures, jointly or individually, to safeguard their national security interests and the regional strategic balance.
On the Korean Peninsula issue, Xi said his country is committed to denuclearizing the peninsula, safeguarding its peace and stability, and settling the question through dialogue and consultation.
To solve the long-standing and complicated issue, China has proposed a dual-track approach of advancing denuclearization and establishing a peace mechanism in parallel.
Meanwhile, Beijing has also put forward a suspension-for-suspension proposal that requires Pyongyang to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale U.S.-South Korean military exercises.
Russia has explicitly voiced understanding and support of China's proposals, and more positive responses are coming from the international community, Xi said.
China, he added, hopes that other parties involved in the Korean Peninsula issue will join China and Russia's push for talks, take up their respective responsibilities, and place the issue on the right track of dialogue and consultation toward a negotiated settlement as soon as possible.
Xi travels to Moscow on Monday for a state visit to Russia, which is to be followed by one to Germany, where he will attend the upcoming summit of the Group of 20 major economies.
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