It was a year ago that the Pentagon first announced it would move forward with plans to deploy intermediate range ballistic missiles to Asia "within months" — an ambitious timeline which of course never materialized, nevertheless a prospect that's remained on the table ever since, driving tensions higher as part of what Beijing has slammed repeatedly as Washington's "Cold War mentality".

In a new statement China's Foreign Ministry has vowed it will take "countermeasures" should any US ally in the region agree to host American missiles.