Contention One: THAAD Deployment will Further upset China
Subpoint A: THAAD Upsets China and will cause retaliation
Mody, S. (2017, April 28). China lashes out as South Korea puts an American anti-missile system in place. Retrieved July 12, 2017, from http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/17/thaad-anti-missile-system-makes-china-lash-out-at-south-korea.html
Beijing views THAAD as a threat to its own military operations — specifically in the South China Sea. Beijing claims possession of the disputed region, which serves as a channel for half of the world's shipping and which the rest of the world, including the United States, considers international waters. China's claims on the sea stretch thousands of miles from the Chinese mainland.
In early March, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters that, "Our position on THAAD is very clear. We are firmly opposed to the deployment of THAAD" in South Korea. "This position is very firm."
Experts on the region, including former U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard, and Richard Weitz, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Political-Military Analysis, told CNBC that a warming trend between South Korea and China was put to an end by the THAAD issue. China is South Korea's largest trading partner.
Beijing began impeding tourist travel from China to South Korea, a popular destination for Chinese citizens.
"Some estimates suggest that Beijing's travel ban could reduce the number of Chinese visitors to South Korea by up to 70 percent, resulting in billions of dollars in lost tourism-related revenue," [According to] Scott Seaman, director of Asia at the Eurasia Group, wrote in a note to clients.
Subpoint B: China has critical influence over South Korea
Kyung-young Chung October 2015 “Debate on THAAD Deployment and ROK National Security” Institute of Foreign & Security Policy on East Asia from http://eai.or.kr/data/bbs/kor_report/2015102615274064.pdf
In accordance with The Year 2014 ROK’s Trade by the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea recorded 235.4 billion dollars in trade with China, out of 1.982 trillion dollars of total 2014 trade. This accounts for 21.4 percent of global ROK trade. The 235.4 billion dollars trade between the ROK and China overshadows the 201.6 billion dollars of trade with the U.S. and Japan combined (115.6 billion dollars between ROK-U.S. and 86 billion dollars trade between ROK-Japan). In addition, the ROK earned 55.2 billion dollars in profits in 2014 derived from China. This means that China has a tremendous influence on the economy of the ROK. Therefore, if China reacts with economic sanctions in the event of THAAD deployment, then their bad relationship could adversely threaten the South Korean economy and impede Chinese support and cooperation as South Korea manages North Korean issues.
Subpoint C: China wants to resume Peace talks
Albert, E. (2017, July 5). The China–North Korea Relationship. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-north-korea-relationship
China is North Korea’s most important ally, biggest trading partner, and main source of food and energy. It has helped sustain Kim Jong-un’s regime, and has historically opposed harsh international sanctions on North Korea in the hope of avoiding regime collapse and a refugee influx across their 870-mile border. Pyongyang’s fifth nuclear test and ongoing missile launches have complicated its relationship with Beijing, which has continued to advocate for the resumption of the Six Party Talks, the multilateral framework aimed at denuclearizing North Korea.
Contention Two: Other alternatives offer more safety
Subpoint A: South Korea should pursue Six party Talks
Je-Hun, L. (2016, October 24). Opposition and civic groups mull ideas for alternative to THAAD. Retrieved July 12, 2017, from http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/767029.html
Noting that North Korea has “already adopted measures to disable THAAD” with its submarine-launched ballistic missile testing and displays of missile warhead decoy mobilization and simultaneous strike capabilities, Suh declared that THAAD had “already lost its military efficacy.”
“Cooperation between North Korea, the US, and China will only be possible if the focus is on the North Korean nuclear issue,” he added.
Inje University professor Kim Yeon-cheol suggested a conditional withdrawal of the THAAD plans.
“What we need is an ‘exit scenario,’ where we make diplomatic efforts - including a resumption of the Six-Party Talks - and immediately halt the THAAD deployment if progress is made on the North Korean nuclear issue,” Kim said.
“But we need to temporarily halt the THAAD implementation process while diplomatic efforts are being pursued,” he added.
Impact: South Korea should abandon
Subpoint B: THAAD Deployment will lead to Korean Arms Race
Mullany, G., & Buckley, C. (2017, March 07). China Warns of Arms Race After U.S. Deploys Missile Defense in South Korea. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/world/asia/thaad-missile-defense-us-south-korea-china.html
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geng Shuang, denounced the United States’ decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or Thaad, and vowed that Beijing would “take the necessary steps to safeguard our own security interests.”
“The consequences will be shouldered by the United States and South Korea,” Mr. Geng added, warning that the two countries should not “go further and further down the wrong road.”
For days, the official Chinese news media has warned that deployment of Thaad could lead to a “de facto” break in relations with South Korea and urged consumers to boycott South Korean products. The Chinese authorities recently forced the closing of 23 stores owned by Lotte, a South Korean conglomerate that agreed to turn over land that it owned for use in the Thaad deployment, and hundreds of Chinese protested at Lotte stores over the weekend, some holding banners that read, “Get out of China.”
Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, warned that Thaad “will bring an arms race in the region,” likening the defensive system to a shield that would prompt the development of new spears. “More missile shields of one side inevitably bring more nuclear missiles of the opposing side that can break through the missile shield,” it said.
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