China will by no means compromise its strategic security in the wake of the threat posed by the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea to counter Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) increasing nuclear threat.
"With the THAAD deployment, South Korea now enters the U.S. missile defense network, which would harm the geopolitical balance in the region and provoke strategic change from China and Russia," read an editorial published in the People's Daily on Wednesday.
It further stated that according to experts, THAAD will raise regional tensions rather than deter the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, which the South Korean government cited as a main reason for the THAAD deployment on its territory.
A Russian newspaper also pointed out that the US is trying to excuse its long-term presence around China and Russia under the pretext of the North Korean nuclear issue.
The article further said that Seoul may not able to afford the domino effect brought by its decision, as the price will be regional stability and the security interests of its neighbors.
The rushed and risky decision made by Seoul and Washington have crossed the security bottom line drawn by the South Korean public. A recent poll also showed that public support for South Korean President Park Geun-hye has dropped, said the article.
At the same time, the South Korean public staged protests against the government's surrendering of its national interests, and the opposition party has urged the government to rescind its decision on the THAAD deployment, it added.
The article also claimed that earlier the US and South Korea promised to negotiate with China on the deployment of the THAAD system, but later turned hostile and announced the rushed decision.
Analysts have stressed that deploying missile defense systems may fuel a dangerous arms race in Northeast Asia, as China and Russia would probably take counter-measures that the US and South Korea cannot afford.
