China values ROK pledges on THAAD deployment: FM spokesperson

BEIJING - China on Monday said it hoped that the Republic of Korea (ROK) would fulfill its commitment not to increasing deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.

ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers Monday that the ROK was not considering any additional THAAD deployment.

Kang said the country would not participate in the U.S.-led missile defense networks.

She also stressed that trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo would not extend to a military alliance. The U.S. military has installed a THAAD battery that includes six missile launchers in the southeastern ROK county of Seongju.

"We value these three aspects of the ROK pledges," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing.

Hua reiterated that China firmly opposed the deployment of THAAD in the ROK.

She said China hoped that the ROK would fulfill its commitments and deal with the relevant problems, so as to get China-ROK ties back on track.