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China presses S. Korea over THAAD

January 29, 2016
Protesters struggle with police officers as they march toward the Defense Ministry during a rally against the visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 10, 2015. Protesters opposed a possible deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on Korea Peninsula. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Protesters struggle with police officers as they march toward the Defense Ministry during a rally against the visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 10, 2015. Protesters opposed a possible deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on Korea Peninsula. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

BEIJING (Yonhap) — China urged South Korea Friday to rethink the sensitive issue of bringing in an advanced U.S. missile defense system.

“The Chinese government hopes the related nation (South Korea) will handle the matter prudently,” Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, told Yonhap News Agency.

She stressed that Beijing’s position is firm that all countries should consider the national interests of other nations in taking their own security into account.

China’s message came in response to reports that South Korea is moving to allow American forces to deploy the THAAD system on the peninsula in order to strengthen the shield against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the THAAD will help boost the country’s national security but it has yet to start formal talks with the Pentagon on the issue.