China has warned the US and South Korea that they will "pay the price" for their joint decision to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) advanced anti-missile system in Korea. Beijing said that the move would inevitably result in a "counter attack."

The state-run newspaper, People's Daily said the THAAD deployment would pose a major security risk in the Korean Peninsula and that Beijing would not take the deployment sitting down. However, the publication did not specify the exact counter measures China will take.

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The newspaper article, published on Friday, said the US and South Korea should realize that the Korean Peninsula is not the place to take risks.

Pay the price

"If the United States and South Korea harm the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China, then they are destined to pay the price for this and receive a proper counter attack," the newspaper said.

Tensions in the Korean Peninsula have escalated following North Korea's latest nuclear test on September 9, the fifth largest nuclear test Pyongyang has conducted in a decade.

South Korea and the US agreed to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system on Korean soil in July. The THAAD advanced anti-missile system will reportedly be deployed on a golf course to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile tests.

Infuriated

The deployment has infuriated China. Beijing has complained that the THAAD missile system would jeopardize its security and would not de-escalate tensions in the region.

Beijing has also expressed concerns that the THAAD missile system could be used against China later on.

The People's Daily commentary said that China would stand by its position rejecting the THAAD deployment as it poses a serious threat to the strategic security balance in the region.

"Like any other country, China can neither be vague nor indifferent on security matters that affect its core interests," the newspaper said in the commentary, published under the pen name "Zhong Sheng," meaning 'Voice of China.'

Warning

China has repeatedly warned the US and South Korea that it will take steps to counter the THAAD deployment but has not given specifics about what it plans to do.

Both Washington and Seoul have tried to allay China's fears saying the THAAD anti-missile system would not jeopardize China's security and that it would target only North Korea.

Beijing has repeatedly called on the international community to help in denuclearizing North Korea by going back to the negotiating table for multilateral talks.

Infuriated by North Korea's latest nuclear test, Beijing has also called on the United Nations to impose tougher sanctions on the isolated nation.

China has, however, said that imposing sanctions on North Korea is not the ultimate solution to rid the North of its nuclear weapons. For Beijing, conducting talks with the belligerent nation is the most preferrable option. 

TagsTHAAD, Korean peninsula, South Korea, United States, Nuclear Tests, North Korea, china, UN