Anger erupts as Pentagon bares plan to deploy, ‘sooner rather than later’, long-range missiles in Beijing’s backyard.
Aug. 6, 2019
China has warned the United States that it would take unspecified countermeasures if Washington goes ahead with plans to deploy ground-based missiles in the Asia Pacific region.
The statement from the Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday comes days after US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US was now free to deploy the weapons following its withdrawal last week from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia.
“China will not stand by idly and will be forced to take countermeasures should the US deploy intermediate-range ground-based missiles in this part of the world,” said Fu Cong, the director of arms control at the foreign ministry.
“And we also call on our neighbours, our neighbouring countries, to exercise prudence and not to allow a US deployment of its intermediate-range missiles on [their] territory,” he added, naming Australia, Japan and South Korea.
“That would not serve the national security interest of these countries,” he said.
Read more at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/china-won-stand-idly-deploys-missiles-asia-190806044005124.html
