Govt. should make S. Korea 'feel pain', US 'realise its mistake': Chinese media on THAAD

As the U.S. has started deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, the Chinese media has reacted strongly to the development, asking its government to 'step by step make South Korea feel the pain and make the US realize its mistake'.

An editorial published in the state-run Global Times asked Beijing to keep calm and adopt resolute and efficient measures to minimize its threat toward China.

"It seems that Washington and Seoul are determined to accomplish the installation of THAAD before the coming South Korean presidential election," stated the article.

"In the end, China has not been able to prevent THAAD from being set up in South Korea, but this was predicted by most observers at the beginning. Therefore, Beijing should keep calm and adopt resolute and efficient measures to minimize its threat toward China. In the subsequent games, Beijing will step by step make South Korea feel the pain and make the US realize its mistake."

"We should start from increasing sanctions toward Seoul in an orderly way, comprehensively lower the level of Sino-South Korean exchanges, roll back all the privileges that Seoul has gained from China, and just maintain a normal relationship between the two," the editorial added.

The state run media further proposed that China should focus on its military countermeasures and strategically deal with more threats.

"The most essential task for China now is to boost its military power. The THAAD installation has offered China a crucial reason to increase and improve its tactical nuclear weapons. It would be worth it if Beijing can comprehensively elevate its strategic nuclear power because of THAAD," the article read.

According to CNN, the first pieces of a US-built missile defence system, aimed to mitigate the threat of North Korean missiles, arrived at the Osan Air Base in South Korea on Monday.

The U.S deployed the missile system after North Korea test-fired four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.

THAAD is designed to protect against threats from North Korea. It's designed to shoot down incoming missiles that threaten civilian populations.

The decision to deploy THAAD in South Korea was made in July last year.