Manila reassures Beijing that the deployment of a U.S. intermediate-range missile system on Philippine soil poses no threat to China, adding it will not destabilize the region.
In April, the U.S. deployed its missile system to the Philippines as part of joint military exercises with the country, marking the first installation of the system in the Indo-Pacific region.
Philippine Army said it will remain in the country until the conclusion of Salaknib Phase 2 in September.
Army Spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala earlier told Manila Standard that deployment or redeployment of the Typhon missile system will still depend if the training objectives of Salaknib had been met.
“The employment and redeployment of the MRC will still depend on the result of the training evaluation that will be conducted to ensure that the training objectives of Salaknib had been met,” Dema-ala said.
Manila Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, however, noted that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed concerns about the missile system during bilateral discussions on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Laos.
“He (Wang) said it could be destabilizing, the presence, and I said ‘No, they’re not destabilizing,” Manalo told a forum with foreign correspondents.
“I believe that (the) particular missiles he’s referring to are only there temporarily,” he added.
Wang said last month that the deployment of the U.S. intermediate-range missile system could fuel regional tensions and lead to an arms race.
The Typhon missile system, capable of firing Tomahawk land attack and SM-6 missiles, was not fired during the drills, but the Philippines said it was shipped to test the feasibility of transporting the 40-ton weapon system by air.
“The Chinese side believes that defense cooperation between countries should not target any third party or disrupt regional peace and stability,” Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, said on the ministry’s social media account.
“The Philippines are inviting wolves into the house and willingly acting as their pawns, which is despised by other regional countries.”
