China, Russia vow measures to tackle THAAD deployment

Beijing and Moscow have agreed that they will "proactively consider strengthening bilateral coordinating measures" to tackle the threat posed by the US and the Republic of Korea's plan to deploy a powerful antimissile system on the Korean Peninsula.

The consensus was reached during the fourth China-Russia Northeast Asia security consultation in Mosow on Thursday, according to a news release of the Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov co-chaired the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, China had expressed strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the THAAD deployment in ROK territory as it damaged China's security interests and broke the strategic balance in the region, while Russia indicated a military response by deploying a missile unit in the Far Eastern region.

At the meeting, both sides voiced "serious concerns" over the advancing plan of deploying the THAAD antimissile system in the ROK.

The two countries agreed that the US unilaterally developing and deploying strategic antimissile systems "is not a constructive action" and will "exert negative influence upon the strategic balance, security and stability in the world and in the region".

China and Russia agreed that a necessary condition for denuclearizing the peninsula is to lower the military and political tension there.

Efforts that will lower such tension include downsizing the scale of military drills taking place in this region as well as building an atmosphere of mutual trust among the parties concerned.

They also urged both the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume dialogues to achieve inter-Korean reconciliation and create a sound environment for development on the Korean Peninsula.

Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington announced the agreement to install one THAAD battery in Seongju, a county some 250 km southeast of the ROK capital city, by the end of next year, as one way to counter the nuclear and missile threats posed by the DPRK.

Xinhua contributed to this story.