China says understands South Korean need for security, still opposes missiles

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

BEIJING (Reuters) - China understands South Korea's need to protect its security but Seoul still needs to respect Beijing's concerns about the deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his South Korean counterpart.

China has repeatedly expressed opposition to South Korea's planned deployment later this year of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, which Seoul and Washington say is needed to defend against North Korea.