Days after North Korea claimed its missiles can now hit targets throughout the United States, the US military claims to have successfully test-launched a THAAD missile over the Pacific.
This comes after the US and South Korea jointly launched several land based missiles from South Korean soil in retaliation for the North Korean missile launch from the 28th of July.
North Korea and the United States both attest that the missile launched by Pyongyang was an intercontinental ballistic missile although Russia has said that it was merely an intermediate range ballistic missile.
The US military has said of today’s launch in the Pacific,
“The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Army soldiers of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, conducted a successful missile defense test today using the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system”.
The US further stated,
“A medium-range target ballistic missile (MRBM) was air-launched by a U.S. Air Force C-17 over the Pacific Ocean”.
THAAD intercepts target in @MDAbmds test, now 15 for 15. https://t.co/2NbTtmj7Va pic.twitter.com/f4EiVtsWtU
— Tom Karako (@tomkarako) July 30, 2017
The launches by the US, South Korea and North Korea run contrary to the wishes of both Russia and China who have stated they want a cessation of all such missile launches by all parties and further seek that the US refrains from shipping more THAAD systems to South Korea. Additionally, both Moscow and Beijing have called for dialogue as the only reasonable means of bringing peace to the Korean peninsula.
The US missile launch combined with the following recent Tweets from Donald Trump make it clear that the US has little or no intention of adhering to the Sino-Russian proposals for peace on the Korean peninsula.
I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
…they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
China has repeatedly emphasised that North Korea is not uniquely its problem but has called for all parties to work cooperatively.
Recently, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Geng Shuang blasted the America insinuations about North Korea being China’s responsibility. Although he did not name the United States or Donald Trump, the meaning was unambiguous.
Geng stated,
“Recently, certain people, talking about the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, have been exaggerating and giving prominence to the so-called ‘China responsibility theory’.
I think this either shows lack of a full, correct knowledge of the issue, or there are ulterior motives for it, trying to shift responsibility.
Asking others to do work, but doing nothing themselves is not OK! Being stabbed in the back is really not OK!
The ‘China responsibility theory’ on the peninsula nuclear issue can stop”.
China has recently affirmed that it is in full compliance with UN sanctions against Pyongyang after US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley implied otherwise.
READ MORE: The Trump administration continues to insult China–both by mistake and by design
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