China expresses concern over U.S.-South Korea drill

Record ID: 355979

  • Title: China expresses concern over U.S.-South Korea drill
  • Date: 3rd March 2017
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 3, 2017) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GENG SHUANG WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GENG SHUANG SAYING: "I think maintaining the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia accords with the interests of all sides and is all parties' joint responsibi
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2017 10:02
  • Keywords: China South Korea US military drill North Korea
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00166ENEPX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:China's Foreign Ministry expressed concern on Friday (March 3) over a large-scale joint military exercise between South Korean and U.S. troops that began this week.
    The exercise, called Foal Eagle, comes amid heightened tension following the latest test launch of a ballistic missile by the North on February 12 and in the past prompted threats by Pyongyang to launch military action in retaliation.
    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said they already expressed serious concern via diplomatic channels to the relevant side.
    "I think maintaining the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia accords with the interests of all sides and is all parties' joint responsibility. At present, the situation on the Korean Peninsula is highly complex and sensitive. The relevant side should earnestly do more to help allay the situation on the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability in Northeast Asia, not the opposite," Geng told a daily news briefing in Beijing.
    Geng also repeated China's opposition to the deployment in South Korea of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system.
    South Korea and the United States said they aim to make the system, which the two countries decided last year to deploy in response to the North Korean missile threat, operational by the end of the year.
    China says the system, with its long-range radar, is a threat to China's own security and will do nothing to help resolve tensions with North Korea.
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