Philippines says China was `dramatically' alarmed over US missile system deployed to its north
China has expressed its “very dramatic” alarm over a mid-range missile system that the U.S. military recently deployed to the Philippines and warned it could destabilize the region
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.China expressed its “very dramatic” alarm over a mid-range missile system that the U.S. military recently deployed to the Philippines, and warned it could destabilize the region. But Manila’s top diplomat said Friday he reassured his Chinese counterpart that the weaponry was only in the country temporarily.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, expressed China’s concern over the U.S. mid-range missile deployment to the Philippines during their talks last month in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings with Asian and Western countries.
“We discussed it and, well, they made it very dramatic,” Manalo said in response to questions during a news conference with foreign correspondents in Manila. “I said you shouldn’t be worried.”
Pressed to specify what China’s specific concerns were, Manalo said Wang warned the presence of the U.S. missile system could be “destabilizing,” but the Philippine foreign affairs chief said he disagreed. “They’re not destabilizing” and the missile system was only in the Philippines temporarily, Manalo said he told Wang.
The U.S. Army said in April it transported the mid-range missile system, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, from the U.S. to the northern Philippines as part of combat exercises with Philippine troops.
The missile system, however, was not fired during the joint combat exercises of the longtime treaty allies and the Philippine military has said the missile system may be transported out of the country next month.
China has strongly opposed increased U.S. military deployments to the region, including to the Philippines, and warned these could endanger regional stability and peace.
The U.S. and the Philippines have repeatedly condemned China’s increasingly assertive actions t o fortify its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where hostilities have particularly flared since last year between Chinese and Philippine coast guard forces and accompanying vessels.
In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the busy waterways, a key global and security route.