Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has sharply criticized South Korea's move to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile defence system to counter threats from North Korea, saying it harms the foundation of their mutual trust, news reports said Monday.

The announcement by South Korea and the United States this month that they would deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit has already drawn protests from Beijing that it would destabilize regional security.

The decision to deploy THAAD is the latest move to squeeze the increasingly isolated North Korea, but China worries the system's radar will be able to track its military capabilities. Russia also opposes the deployment.