Beijing Warns Of ’Countermeasures’ Over US Missile Plans

By Staff, Agencies

China warned Tuesday it would take unspecified countermeasures if the United States goes ahead with plans to deploy ground-based missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.

The comments came days after US War 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 idly by 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 Chinese foreign ministry.

"And we also call on our neighbors, our neighboring 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.

Australia on Monday ruled out the possibility of the missiles being deployed on its soil, saying Canberra had not even been asked to host them.

The INF treaty was considered a cornerstone of the global arms control architecture but the United States said the bilateral pact had given other countries -- namely China -- free rein to develop their own long-range missiles.

Esper, the new Pentagon chief, said Saturday that Washington would like to deploy the missiles "sooner rather than later," speaking to reporters on a plane to Sydney at the start of a week-long tour of Asia.