China voiced its grave concern to Washington and Seoul on April 26 after parts of the THAAD anti-missile defence system were moved into the Republic of Korea (ROK) for deployment.

China urged the United States and the ROK to withdraw the equipment and stop the deployment, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang at the daily press briefing.

Geng said, the deployment of THAAD anti-missile defence system will damage strategic balance in the region, worsen the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, do no good for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and threaten regional peace and stability.

The deployment goes against efforts made by all parties to settle the issues through discussion and severely sabotage China's security and strategic interests, Geng said.

"China will firmly take necessary actions to safeguard its own interests," Geng added.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2017)