2016年CRI Chinese Experts Warn over THAAD Deployment in South Korea

 

The "alliance decision" to begin formal talks over a possible deployment¹ of the THAAD missile system in South Korea was announced in the wake of recent satellite launch by the North.

South Korea insisted that the possible deployment will be "only operated against North Korea."

THAAD is a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles as they approach their targets. The missile carries no warhead but relies on impact to destroy the incoming missile.

Yang Xiyu with the China Institute of International Studies said the THAAD system seemed an overreaction, if the only targets were North Korea's missiles.

"A short-range missile from the DPRK is able to cover the entire peninsula and poses a real threat to the south, but it is not something the THAAD is designed to deter²."

The U.S. has deployed³ THAAD units in Hawaii, Guam, and Turkey, and is reportedly in talks with Japan over a possible deployment.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke⁴ out against the latest move in South Korea, suggesting there might be other motives⁵ concealed⁶ behind the deployment.

"To be very honest with you, it doesn't require experts to know this. Ordinary people would know that the deployment of the THAAD system is not just to defend the ROK, it has a wider agenda and it may even serve the possibility of targeting China."

Professor Yang Xiyu explains that THAAD uses satellite surveillance and advanced long range radar⁷ to detect incoming missiles, a capability⁸ that could also extend well into China and Russia.

"The THAAD is in fact targeting the ballistic missile systems of China and Russia. Therefore, this deployment is not just a threat to any specific country; it is a threat to the strategic stability of the whole region. Of course it will put China's security at risk."

Piao Guanghai, an expert on Korean Peninsula affairs, believes the possible deployment in South Korea could indeed serve the interests of the United States.

"In general, the tension on the Korean Peninsula is used by the US as a tool to serve its strategies that are aimed at driving a wedge into the relations between China and South Korea, pushing forward with its rebalance to Asia Pacific and enhancing a triangle alliance between itself, South Korea and Japan."

Yang Xiyu with the China Institute of International Studies added that the new deployment in South Korea will not be a quantitative⁹ addition to the U.S. missile defense¹⁰, but a qualitative¹¹ change that would trigger future changes in regional strategic situation.

But he is confident that China would have its own strategy amid such a threat.

"China will make extra efforts in two aspects, one is to step up the defense budget and improve its self-defense capabilities¹². The other is about diplomacy¹³. China will strive to realize the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula while helping¹⁴ maintain peace and stability in the region."

It's reported that talks over any THAAD deployment may start next week.

For CRI, this is Luo Bin¹⁵.

1 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

2 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

6 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

7 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

8 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

9 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 qualitative   

adj.性质上的，质的，定性的

参考例句：

• There are qualitative differences in the way children and adults think.孩子和成年人的思维方式有质的不同。
• Arms races have a quantitative and a qualitative aspects.军备竞赛具有数量和质量两个方面。

12 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。