The Philippines said on Friday that it never pledged to remove a missile system deployed by its ally, the United States, as China threatened to take necessary countermeasures.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Newsweek‘s written request for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. Army deployed a Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system, also known as Typhon, in the Philippines in last April for war games, but both countries later decided to keep it there indefinitely, which China has denounced as a “highly dangerous move.”
In January, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. demanded that China stop its aggression in the South China Sea, where they have territorial disputes, in exchange for the removal of Typhon. The weapon can fire two types of missiles, hitting targets 1,000 miles away.
What To Know
“We never made any commitment to [the People’s Republic of China] in this regard [withdrawal of the Typhon missile system],” said Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson for the Philippine National Security Council, using China’s official name.
Malaya responded to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s comments on Wednesday, which claimed that the Philippines breached its commitments to shipping out the U.S. missile system after exercise, condemning the deployment for harming China’s security interests.
“We never criticized, we never commented even on their continued improvement of their offensive capabilities,” Malaya said at a press briefing, adding that the Chinese military has been carrying out training where it stationed or tested its ballistic missiles.
During a Chinese Defense Ministry press briefing on Friday, spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang criticized the Philippines for bringing in the Typhon missile system to cater to the U.S., describing the weapon as a strategic asset and an offensive weapon.
Captain Ryan DeBooy/U.S. Army
China will continue to take necessary measures to counter what it called “provocations and infringements,” said Zhang, without further explanation. This was in line with the warning issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which said that Beijing will not “sit idly by.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Saturday that the “temporary deployments” of U.S. missile capabilities in the allied country, which are not capable of carrying nuclear warheads, were a response to “growing threats,” according to Reuters.
What People Are Saying
Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson for the Philippine National Security Council, said at a press briefing: “So, we feel that it is deceptive on the part of the People’s Republic of China to comment on our right to improve our defense capabilities and position while they continue to improve their offensive capabilities.”
Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said at a press briefing: “We require the Philippine side to recognize the high sensitivity and severe consequences of this issue, remove the Typhon missile system as soon as possible to honor its open promises, and return to the right track of dialogue and consultations at an early date.”
What Happens Next
China is likely to continue to voice its objections, pressuring the Philippines to ship out the Typhon missile system; it remains to be seen how long it will be stationed there.
