China strongly opposes the deployment of the most modern guided-missile destroyer in the world -- the U.S. Navy's USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) -- off the eastern coast of North Korea this year as part of a joint effort by South Korea and the United States to rein-in North Korea's ballistic missile program.

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The U.S. Navy announced in early January the USS Zumwalt will begin its first operational patrol in the Sea of Japan or the East Sea within the year. The Zumwalt is assigned to the United States Seventh Fleet, one of two fleets in the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) with headquarters in Hawaii.

Her two other sister ships, which are still building, will also be deployed to USPACOM. The other warships in the Zumwalt-class are the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) and the USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002).

China warned the U.S. it's "watching closely" the deployment of the USS Zumwalt. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs indirectly criticized the forthcoming deployment, saying "all countries concerned should work toward military cooperation for the sake of peace and stability, and tensions should not be created."

The ministry said China is opposed to any measures that affect China's security interests but specified no retaliation of any kind.

When she joins the Seventh Fleet, the $7.5 billion USS Zumwalt will have lived-up to the promise made by former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter in April 2016 that all the Zumwalts will be assigned to the Pacific as part of the rebalance of U.S. forces to the region to counter China and promote stability.

Carter said "all three of our newest class of stealth destroyers, the DDG-1000, will be homeported with the Pacific fleet' in addition to other new military equipment slated for the Pacific such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Tagschina, USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), U.S. Navy, United States Seventh Fleet, United States Pacific Command, Sea of Japan, South Korea