China cautious about U.S. anti-missile push

China on Tuesday called for caution after the United States disclosed its plan to build regional shields against ballistic missiles in both Asia and the Middle East.

Media reports, quoting a senior Pentagon official, say that the U.S. is looking to build the shields against ballistic missiles akin to an European defense system to protect against states like Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The Chinese side has taken note of the reports," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular news briefing.

"We always believe that every country should address anti-missile issues in a cautious way, with a view of maintaining global strategic stability and enhancing strategic mutual trust, and achieve universal security through political and diplomatic means," said the spokesman.