South Korean diplomats in Beijing said on Monday that China's argument opposing the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems in the Korean Peninsula runs contrary to its construction of radar installations and other defensive facilities in the South China Sea. 

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Quoting embassy officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency claims diplomats have criticized the Chinese government's opposition to the deployment of THAAD systems in South Korea in view of China's actions in the South China Sea.

The South Korean envoys told Yonhap that China's "increasingly assertive actions" in the contentious Asian waterway undermines the security interests of its neighbors, including South Korea.

"Security Interests"

The diplomats apparently made the remarks in response to the Chinese government's reiteration of its opposition to the proposed deployment of US THAAD missile batteries in South Korea.

Seoul is moving to allow the US military to position a THAAD missile unit on South Korean soil as part of a broader effort to counter Pyongyang's growing nuclear and long-range missile capabilities.

When asked during a press briefing about Beijing's opposition to THAAD in the context of its defensive posture in the South China Sea, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "China's deployment of necessary and limited national defense facilities will not impact other countries' security interests."

In comparison, the deployment of the state-of-the-art THAAD systems in South Korea far exceed the defense requirements of the US, and will "severely damage" China's national security interests, Hong said.

But the unnamed South Korean emissaries insist the same argument could be used against China's efforts to defend its assertions in the South China Sea, which -- they claim -- threaten the stability and security of the region as a whole.

"Self-contradictory Stance"

"The [remark] by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman is an indication of China's self-contradictory stance on the two issues," one of the South Korean diplomats is quoted by Yonhap as saying.

Chinese special envoy Wu Dawei on Monday reiterated China's concerns over Washington's proposal to deploy THAAD batteries on the Korean Peninsula, saying he hoped Seoul will "handle the concern of the Chinese side appropriately."

Wu made the statement in a meeting with South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-se in Seoul, according to Seoul's foreign ministry office.

THAAD is a US-manufactured anti-missile defense system which can intercept and destroy short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles in flight. The system uses sophisticated radars, sensors and other classified technology to track down its targets.

Beijing has repeatedly emphasized its opposition to the deployment of the American weapon on the Korean Peninsula, saying it would undercut China's defensive posture and boost US intelligence and strike capabilities over the Chinese mainland.

TagsChina-South Korea relations, THAAD, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea