The United States has expressed hopes to talk to China and allay its fears about the possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korean soil.

China has consistently voiced its opposition to the possible THAAD deployment in Seoul, saying the missile system may be used against the mainland and could jeopardize its security interests in the Korean peninsula.

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A senior State Department official stressed that Washington and Seoul have just started discussions on the THAAD deployment  issue and no decision have been made yet by the two allies.

China-US Talks

Rose Gottemoeller, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, emphasized that the possible deployment of THAAD focuses on Seoul's defense and aims to target Pyongyang and not China.

"THAAD is truly only capable of defending the territory on which it's deployed. It is not capable of the kind of reach that the Chinese seem to be afraid that it has," she told reporters in a press conference.

"We will be very glad and hope we'll have the opportunity to sit down and talk with China about those very technical limitations and facts about the system," she added.

Arrangements

The undersecretary said arrangements are being made  for a meeting between Washington and Chinese officials to discuss the THAAD deployment.

Talks between Washington and Seoul have commenced last month following the latest long-range rocket fired by North Korea on February 7.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had earlier underscored China's reluctance about a possible THAAD deployment and instead, told the media that the matter would be best resolved through diplomatic means.

Legitimate concerns

Wang reiterated that although Beijing understood Washington and Seoul's defensive move, the two nations should consdier the legitimate concerns of the mainland and address them.

The US military has long said that South Korea needs the THAAD missile system but Seoul has been reluctant to agree with the proposal.

It was only on February 7 when North Korea launched another long-range rocket that Seoul decided to start talks with the US at the risk of damaging ties with Beijing, its number one trade partner.

Huge increase

Army Lieutenant General David Mann, commander of the U.S. Army Space & Missile Command, said that should the THAAD deployment in South Korean's soil materialize, there would be a "huge increase" in defense missile systems in the Korean Peninsula.

Mann said Washington is very much abreast about the concerns of China and has expressed willingness to commence talks with Beijing regarding the issue.

"It's very, very important that we clarify that that radar, that system is not looking at China," he said. "If the decision is made to deploy it, that system would be oriented on North Korea and threats posed by the North Korean military," he added. 

TagsTHAAD deployment, Washington, Seoul, Chinese concerns, North Korea, rocket launch, missile tests