China is now fighting against the US's advanced missile system with a rap battle
China's vocal opposition to the deployment of the US's advanced anti-missile system THAAD has previously been limited to official statements and public demonstrations.
Now that rebuke has a new, more melodious form: a rap video.
A video featuring Chinese rap group CD Rev, based in the south-central province of Sichuan, appeared earlier this month, as reported by The New York Times on Friday, racking up nearly 50,000 views as of Friday morning.
The deployment of THAAD, which began at a site in southeastern South Korea in March, has sparked months of protests in China.
State-run media outlets have called for protests of South Korean businesses and imports, and demonstrators have targeted the conglomerate Lotte in particular. (South Koreans have also targeted Lotte for protests.)
China's ire has also affected tourism to South Korea, and Chinese broadcasters have cancelled appearances by South Korea bands.
The lyrics in CD Rev's video, in both English and Chinese, criticize the deployment of THAAD in tones likely to be taken as patronizing by some in South Korea.
"How many times do I have to warn you my lovely little neighbor boy? You don't really want that little toy, you know," one member of the group raps near the start of the video, continuing:
The video - featuring backgrounds like Bird's Nest stadium built for the 2008 summer Olympics as well as footage of THAAD's deployment - also appears to level criticism at some people in China for the fervor of their anti-THAAD protests.
"I don't want to see South Korea with this attitude and I also don't want to be reminded of the war between the two sides because now this area is in peace," a member of the group raps in Chinese.
The Chinese public is not the only group inflamed by THAAD's deployment.
South Koreans have protested the anti-missile system's arrival in their country for months.
They are concerned about the system's sophisticated radar, the potential for it to be a target during a war, and about the health and environmental effects of its deployment.
"No THAAD, No War," protesters chanted in Seongju, a town that THAAD equipment passed through on its way to its deployment site. "Hey, US! Are you friends or occupying troops?"
You can see the full video below.
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