CHINA lambasted South Korea for escalating the east Asian nuclear crisis yesterday after Seoul announced further deployment of US anti-ballistic missiles.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said "China is seriously concerned" after South Korean Defence Ministry said four more missile launchers will be added to the anti-missile system sited at a southern golf course.

That would bring the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) system to its full strength of six launchers — against the objections of locals who fear becoming a target of North Korean nuclear weapons.