U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton says Washington's willingness to deploy missiles in Asia is about protecting its allies in South Korea and Japan,... saying any deployment would be purely defensive.
Bolton's comments on Tuesday came in response to China's protests against U.S. plans to consider deploying conventional, intermediate-range missiles throughout Asia.
Beijing threatened Washington with countermeasures if the U.S. deploys missiles on China's doorstep.
The recent exchange of heated rhetoric between the U.S. and China has raised concerns about a regional arms race.