A new missile defense system will be deployed in South Korea, despite Chinese opposition, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told reporters recently. His announcement came on the heels of a claim by North Korea that it has tested a new rocket engine that could put the United States within range of missiles fired by Pyongyang.

Chinese officials worry the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system will allow U.S. radar to penetrate strategic defenses on which Beijing relies. But as Carter pointed out, actions and threats from North Korea make it imperative that the THAAD equipment be installed to safeguard both U.S. troops and South Korea.

Obviously, it would be in China’s best interests to do more to restrain the militarism that has ruled North Korea for more than half a century. But for one reason or another, Beijing will not or cannot do that.

That has left both South Korea and the United States in a constant state of reacting defensively – at great cost in many ways -to Pyongyang’s frequent provocations.

No rational person wants war with North Korea, of course.

Clearly, however, policies toward that nation under both Republican and Democratic presidents have not worked. At some point, a more effective strategy should be implemented.