US-China talks needed to resolve THAAD row

Bareun Party’s floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young, center, and other party members submit a joint motion to the National Assembly, Tuesday, to urge China to stop its economic retaliation against Korea over the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery. / Yonhap

By Yi Whan-woo

The United States should talk directly with China to resolve the row over the planned deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea, analysts here said Tuesday.

The calls came as Seoul is bearing the brunt of the deployment of the U.S. anti-missile system as China’s retaliatory measures are intensifying.

Analysts said Beijing, instead of directing its anger at Washington, is focusing on “Seoul-bashing,” regarding it as Washington’s mere “go stone without diplomatic independence.” China’s strategy may be to instigate anti-American sentiment in South Korea, but if so, it will only be their wishful thinking, they said.

The U.S.-China talks, if implemented, will help clear Beijing’s suspicions that THAAD is a part of the U.S. strategy to build a missile-defense system in the region to contain a rising China.

Washington has refuted the claim, saying the system is exclusively aimed at deterring North Korea’s ballistic missile threats.

“The THAAD dispute concerns both Seoul-Beijing relations and Washington-Beijing relations. Therefore, the three parties need to talk to each other actively,” said Kim Han-kwon, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. “I wouldn’t say the Washington-Beijing dialogue will settle the dispute completely but it’s worth it for both sides to keep talking to each other.”

Kim speculated that U.S. Secretary of Defense Rex Tillerson’s scheduled trip to East Asia next week may help in placating China to some extent. Tillerson is expected to stop by Japan around March 17 and visit South Korea and China afterwards.

“Tillerson’s East Asia trip can be a tipping point for China not to go any further in its economic retaliation against South Korea,” Kim said.

A different expert echoed a similar view, saying “Tillerson’s China visit serves as a breakthrough for South Korea.”

“The trip will be critical in shaping Beijing’s course of diplomacy with the Donald Trump administration. In that regard, it will be tough for China to turn down Tillerson’s offer if he asks China to stop its retaliation against South Korea,” the expert said on condition of anonymity.

The analysts, however, said Seoul still should make separate efforts to placate China. They speculated that Beijing may continue to bolster its punitive measures if it does not find a breakthrough in its dialogues with Washington.

“China will push South Korea to ensure that THAAD will not be used to spy on its military activities if the Washington-Beijing dialogue remains unproductive,” Kim said.

“We should be prepared for relevant measures.”

Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University, said it will be necessary for the U.S. and South Korea to help Chinese President Xi Jinping convince his people that THAAD deployment is irrevocable.

“Xi publicly raised objections against THAAD and he will need a way out to make sure the establishment of THAAD does not hurt his political career,” he said.