China has expressed its strong opposition to the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) battery in South Korea.
 
The Chinese Foreign Ministry revealed the stance in a statement released immediately after Seoul and Washington announced their agreement on the THAAD deployment Friday morning.
 
In the statement, the ministry criticized South Korea and the U.S. for their decision that ignored firm opposition from China and other countries participating in the six-way nuclear talks.

It also insisted that the THAAD system will not help achieve denuclearization and establish peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, adding that the decision goes against multilateral efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem through dialogue and negotiations.

Beijing also warned that the THAAD battery in South Korea will seriously hurt security interests and the strategic balance of other countries in the region.
 
The Chinese government is expected to take all possible diplomatic measures against the agreement, such as calling in the South Korean and U.S. ambassadors to China.