You may have noticed a story in Reuters today that says China and South Korea have patched up their differences over THAAD just days before President Trump visits Asia. This amazing realignment comes after China had curbed tourism to the South, manipulated everything they could to limit Latte Group in China (Latte sold the land that THAAD is on to allow the deployment), and make vague threats about how the future of trade and international relations hinged on the South Koreans moving THAAD out. It cost the South nearly half a percentage point in GNP. THAAD is only a defensive anti-missile system, which has made the world wonder why all the fuss.
The simple truth is China likes having the US hostage to missiles in the North of Korea, and happy to perpetuate that as long as they can. THAAD has been a pretty successful interceptor and could likely hit its target, making that threat less. The North has deployed and test fired more missiles in groups that might overwhelm a single battery, but that tactical move does not seem to change the strategic situation. The Chinese are not worried about THAAD’s radar peering into China; they are worried about the North keeping its focus on the US. In past administrations leaders could only focus on one shiny object at time. While China built up the South China Sea, the US worried about the North. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, so watch for President Trump to make some friends of his own in Vietnam over the next couple of weeks.
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