Переговоры Южной Кореи и США по поводу установки THAAD перенесены из-за переговоров США с Китаем по поводу санкций против КНДР.

South Korea and the United States have postponed the start of their scheduled working-level discussions on the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here, due to talks underway between Beijing and Washington on further sanctions against North Korea.

The Ministry of National Defense announced the allies' decision to delay the signing of a terms of reference for the working-level talks just hours before a ceremony, Tuesday. The talks are intended to iron out details of the deployment.

Based on the signing, the Joint Working Group (JWG) was supposed to hold its first meeting to discuss details of the deployment including possible locations later this week. With the signing delayed, the THAAD talks will also be postponed, the ministry said.

"The signing of the terms of reference for the JWG, originally scheduled for today (Tuesday), will be put off by one or two days as something has yet to be finalized," said defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.

While Moon did not clarify what the allies are finalizing, it is speculated that China and the U.S. talks on a resolution of the U.N. Security Council apparently affected the THAAD discussions, as the ministry's announcement was timed to coincide with a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the U.S. to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry.

Wang will stay in the U.S. for three days.

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong expressed strong concerns about THAAD deployment in Korea during his meeting with Kim Jong-in, interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, Tuesday, according to the party.

Qiu said during the meeting that the deployment seriously affects China's national interest.

"If this issue damages China's national interest, bilateral relations between South Korea and China will be damaged too, and they will be difficult to quickly recover," he said.

Seoul and Washington want to produce a resolution that contains stronger and more effective sanctions against the isolated state that has shown no sign of abandoning its nuclear ambitions, evidenced by a fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and the launch of a long-range rocket on Feb. 7. But China, the North's closest ally, has been reluctant to impose harsher measures on Pyongyang.

Observers say that South Korea and the U.S. seem unlikely to push for the THAAD discussions at the JWG until the talks between Wang and Kerry are finished, considering that China has long been opposed to the deployment of a THAAD battery on the peninsula, out of concerns that its radar could spy on Beijing's military activities.

China is also apparently concerned that the deployment would become an opportunity for South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to strengthen their military cooperation, which will expand American influence in Northeast Asia.

Observers say that the delay in discussions might have been inevitable not to provoke China ahead of the discussion of the U.N. resolution, given that Beijing's cooperation is essential to implement meaningful sanctions, as it is one of five veto-holding permanent members of the UNSC, and the main provider of food and fuel aid to the impoverished North.

Defense spokesman Moon refused to answer a question on whether Beijing and Washington's talks on a U.N. resolution influenced the delay of the discussions, only saying that allies are finalizing the content of the terms of reference of the JWG.

The ministry stressed that whether to host a THAAD battery is South Korea's sovereign right, and the issue is not linked with Beijing's participation in the UNSC discussions on sanctions.

But the U.S. has hinted at using the THAAD issue to pressure China to join hands for "a resolution with real teeth" against the North.

Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said last week that the U.S. would have to take steps to establish a larger deterrent in South Korea in the absence of Chinese cooperation, pointing out that THAAD is just one example of U.S. strategy.

On Feb. 7, hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket in violation of U.N. resolutions, Seoul and Washington announced their decision to officially discuss THAAD deployment here to better deter nuclear and missile threats from the Kim Jong-un regime.