China slams fighter jet deal, says move fueling flames in Asia

The United States said Tuesday it has approved the sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter-jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.

The State Department said it was green-lighting the sale that includes 20 F-16 jets and related equipment to the Philippines, a treaty ally of the United States.

China immediately cautioned Manila against the deal, saying such moves are “turning Asia into a powder keg.”

“Any defense and security cooperation that the Philippines engages in with other countries should not target or harm the interests of any third party, nor should it threaten regional peace and security or escalate tensions in the region,” said China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.

“As for who is fueling the flames, who is provoking military confrontation, and who is turning Asia into a powder keg, we believe that regional countries can see the situation clearly,” he added.

The US State Department, however, said in a statement the sale will “improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in Southeast Asia.”

The sale will boost “the Philippine Air Force’s ability to conduct maritime domain awareness” and “enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses,” it added.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed that the Philippine government has requested to purchase 16 F-16C Block 70/72 fighter jets and four F-16D Block 70/72 aircraft.

“The Philippines will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” the DSCA said.

In addition to the fighter jets, the package includes 24 F110-GE-129D or F100-PW-229 engines (20 installed, four spares), 22 improved programmable display generators (20 installed, two spares), and 22 AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) scalable agile beam radars (20 installed, two spares).

It also covers 22 embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation systems with selective availability anti-spoofing module (SAASM) or M-Code capability and precise positioning service (20 installed, two spares). 

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padillla said they are awaiting confirmation from the Department of National Defense.

“Matters concerning ongoing acquisitions remain under the purview of DND. Nonetheless, we remain steadfast in our mission to defend the nation while anticipating future enhancements that will strengthen our ability to safeguard our territory,” she said.

President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to redirect US military efforts to Asia to face a rising China, especially as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to lessen involvement in Europe despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Philippines and China have seen months of escalating confrontations in the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.

During a recent visit to Manila, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to “reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region” in light of “threats from the Communist Chinese.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio likewise reiterated US defense commitments to the Philippines, a contrast to the Trump administration’s frequent talk of “freeloading” off the United States by allies in Europe. With AFP