Attempt to stop North Korea’s rocket launches sharpens Asian divisions
Hong Kong — Kim Jong-un’s near-weekly rocket launches are spurring a push for missile-defence systems across Asia that risk sharpening divisions between China and US allies in the region. South Korea started deploying the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) system in March and Japan is considering purchasing its own missile shield. Australia’s senior defence planners have also started discussing options for fending off a North Korean attack. The Pentagon this week claimed success in intercepting a mock intercontinental ballistic missile. The threat posed by Kim’s regime is likely to dominate talks when the region’s top defence and military officials, including US secretary of defence James Mattis, gather for the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore starting on Friday. Earlier in the week, North Korea conducted its ninth ballistic missile test in 2017 as Kim ramps up efforts to deliver a nuclear warhead as far as North America. US President Donald Tr...
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