A Lotte supermarket in Hangzhou, March 1, 2017.

South Korea's Lotte brand is on track to suffer a major loss of customers in China after the company decides to support THAAD deployment despite China's strong opposition.

Lotte signed a deal with the South Korean military on Feb. 28 to transfer ownership of its Skyhill Country Club property in Seongju, thus enabling the deployment of U.S. missile defense system THAAD, which China has called a threat to its national security and repeatedly opposed.

Boycotts against Lotte supermarkets have been staged around China since the company's intention to back THAAD was made public. 

People protest in front of a Lotte supermarket in Jilin on Feb. 26, 2017, holding a banner that reads "Lotte supports THAAD, get out of China."

"I think relevant parties know full well the opposition of the Chinese people to the deployment of THAAD. I believe they have noted the voice of the Chinese people in recent days," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in response to questions about the boycott.

"As for the attitude of the Chinese government, we have stated repeatedly that China welcomes foreign companies to make investments and do business in China; China respects and protects their lawful rights and interests. At the same time, we want to emphasize that companies operating in China must comply with laws and regulations," added Geng at a press conference on Feb. 28. 

A Lotte store in Shenyang, Feb 28, 2017.

Lotte, South Korea's fifth-largest family-controlled conglomerate, entered the Chinese market in 1994. It currently has about 60 billion RMB of investments in China, including more than 120 stores.

The boycott of Lotte is just one of many protests against South Korean businesses and products in China, as tensions between the two countries grow.