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| China-Japan-Koreas | ||
| Korea, U.S. Inch Toward Open Discussion of THAAD | ||
| 2015-03-19 | ||
| South Korea and the U.S. will discuss the controversial deployment of Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system by the U.S. Forces Korea during regular defense talks in Washington in April, an official here said Wednesday. The two-day session attended by senior defense officials "will handle all defense issues involving the two countries," a Defense Ministry official said. "It's likely that they'll also discuss the THAAD, albeit unofficially." The biannual vice-ministerial-level meeting coordinates various bilateral defense bodies. But the ministry said the THAAD deployment is not officially on the agenda. The U.S., however, has already scouted seven candidate sites where a THAAD battery could be placed. The likeliest site is Pyeongtaek, the new home of USFK headquarters. The fiction that the two sides have yet to discuss the matter is wearing increasingly thin. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is visiting South Korea late this month to meet his South Korean counterpart Adm. Choi Yoon-hee. And U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry are expected here next month. Seoul is unlikely to abandon its policy of strategic ambiguity because China is against the THAAD deployment and putting equal pressure on Seoul as the U.S.
Asked again, she said, "I'm not going to speak on behalf of the Chinese Government."
Russel was reacting to Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao, who said it "would be appreciated" if Seoul took the position of neighboring countries into account. The THAAD form the core of the U.S. missile defense aimed at containing China in the region, but Seoul and Washington insist their famously undiscussed deployment here would only aim to counter the threat from North Korea. "We have not formally consulted with South Korea on THAAD deployment, and no decisions have been made on a potential deployment to the Korean Peninsula," Psaki claimed. | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Tokyo is repor investigating alleged telephone death threats against Caroline Kennedy, aka She-whom-will-Save-China-n-Japan-from-War. OR NOT, as any respite from Sino-Japan [US-vs-China?] war must still hinge on whether China will give up its desire to control or dominate East Asia + 1/2 or more of the Pacific by 2020 NLT 2025. THIS IS EXCLUSIVE OF ANY SO-CALLED "JAPAN/NUCLEAR JAPAN QUESTION" REGARDING NIPPON'S RETURN TO THE INTERNATIONAL OR GREAT POWER ARENA, TO INCLUDE AS NUKE-ARMED STATE. * Lest we fergit, BENCHMARK/BASE YEAR 2018 > RUSSIA + CHINA = WAR AGZ THE USA IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE BUT DESIRED. The good news for Bammer-ian Amerika is that while post-Soviet Russia seems to prefer or lean towards Anti-US War taking place in the Year 2018 + after, CHINA OTOH SAW ITS ANTI-US WAR AS POSSIBLY OCCURRING EARLIER THAN 2018, I.E. NOW THRU 2018 OR 2020. The above is one reason why the US-VS-CHINA competition and rivalry in the Pacific is poten much more dangerous than anything per Iran + Putinist Russia, as land-locked China must achieve its agenda of acquiring strategic access into the Far Pacific + IOR, etc. before US or US-leaning, Anti-China Regional allies get too strong. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2015-03-19 03:07 |
| #1 Barbs between SOKOR + China have been getting "testy", + wid implied or inferred threats by China agz SOKOR. More ... * TOPIX > [KCNA] US ACCUSED OF TURNING SOUTH KOREA INTO WORLD'S BIGGEST NUCLEAR BASE. * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [MDA.org] MILITARY ADVOCACY ALLIANCE: JAPAN TO DEFEND SOUTH KOREA [Navy] AEGIS SYSTEMS, iff saidsame AEGIS Sys are used by SOKOR to militarily defend Japan in time of crisis. * WASHINGTON FREE BEACON > JAPAN RISING: TOKYO BUILDING UP MILITARY FORCES [+ Alliances] TO COUNTER CHINA. * RUSSIA TODAY > CHINESE PREMIER LI KEQIANG CALLS 2015 A "TEST YEAR" FOR RELATIONS WID JAPAN. Yuuup - Trade-n-Peace, versus War to decide whom will be East Asia's + any East Asian/Asian Union's #1. * SAME > PHILIPPINES CALLS ANEW FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY [UNO] TO PRESS FOR CHINESE CESSATION OF [massive = Island(s)]RECLAMATION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA. RELATED DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > CHINA'S LATEST EXPANSION TO DENY PHILIPPINE'S ACCESS TO AYUGIN SHOAL. * WANT CHINA TIMES = ... > US NAVY CAN BE DEFEATED BY CHINA, SAYS GLOBAL TIMES. > CHINA CHALLENGING US-LED STATUS QUO IN ASIA. > COULD ASIA-PACIFIC HAVE A "CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS" MOMENT, e.g. as due to Military Applications derived from Sino-Japan competition, Geopol rivalry vee use or sale of Advanced Spacetechs. * RELATED DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > ABOUT 3/4 OF [surveyed] CHINESE BELIEVE THAT THIER MILITARY COULD BEAT BOTH THAT OF THE JAPAN + US | SPUTNIK INTERNATIONAL | MAJORITY OF CHINESE BELIEVE THEIR MILITARY COULD BEAT US + JAPAN. * WORLD NEWS > [Dawn] CHINESE DESCEND ON PALAU [Belau] AS WANDERLUST DEEPENS. Locals overwhelmed. Looks like the Pentagon's heart-rate is going up again - at least the Chinese are not YET in the former WW2 USN Fleet base of ULITHI ATOLL-LAGOON. * WORLD MILITARY FORUM > JAPAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OFFICIAL: CHINA-JAPAN DISPUTE OVER DIAOYU ISLANDS [Senkakus] REACHING "DANGEROUS" LEVELS/THRESHOLDS. NO SIGN OF COMPROMISE OR CONCESSION BY EITHER CHINA OR JAPAN. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2015-03-19 02:42 |