China warns on missiles in S Korea
US deployment is ‘wrong choice’
CHINA’S foreign minister, Wang Yi, yesterday warned against the deployment of US missiles on the Korean peninsula in wide-ranging comments that also emphasised Beijing’s continued support for African development and a multilateral approach to world affairs.
The deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) in South Korea was obviously a “wrong choice”, Yi said at a news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary session.
Wang urged South Korea to halt the THAAD deployment. He said the system, which can shoot down enemy missiles, undermined China’s strategic security.
“It’s not the way neighbours should behave to each other, and it may very well make (South Korea) less secure,” he said.
Wang also called on North Korea to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-South Korean military exercises.
This would help the parties to break out of the security dilemma and return to the negotiating table, he said.
Wang also stressed China’s continuing strong commitment to the UN-centred multilateral international system.
Although he said the system had experienced some “wear and tear” since its establishment after World War II, it still “shields us from wind and rain” and promotes world peace and development. “So what we should be doing is to renovate the building rather than building another structure.”
He said the international system needed to reformed to better meet countries’ needs and catch up with the changing times.
In terms of China’s role on the world stage, Wang said Beijing would shoulder more responsibility in contributing to world peace and growth.
However, he dismissed the idea that China was trying to displace the US as a global leader
“China believes in the equality of all countries, large and small, and we don’t believe some countries should lead others,” Wang said.
He also emphasised China’s support for Africa no matter how the international situation or world economy may evolve. China and Africa had a shared future and their co-operation was like mutual help between brothers, Wang said.
China announced $60 billion funding support for Africa at the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation in December 2015 held in Joburg.
China also rolled out 10 major plans to boost co-operation with Africa at the summit.
The plans covered the areas of industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, infrastructure, financial services, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security.
“What distinguishes China-Africa co-operation is that China always keeps its word,” Wang said.
Wang said the outcomes of the Joburg summit were being implemented quickly and comprehensively, including railway projects in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya, as well as a special economic zone in the Republic of Congo, an integrated port development project in Tanzania and a number of industrial parks across Africa.
He said China-Africa co-operation was increasingly market-driven, and focused on production capacity and capital investment and operations.
Wang also said the Brics mechanism would continue to wield influence if members stayed united.
He said the bloc would seek to build a new platform for south-south co-operation, exploring a “Brics plus” model by holding dialogues with other major developing countries or groups of developing countries.
“We will widen the circle of friends of the Brics,” Wang said.