Warns of consequences if Manila ‘refuses to change course’
China issued a stern warning to the Philippines over its planned purchase of the US-made Typhon mid-range capability missile system, saying there will be consequences if the acquisition pushes through.
“Our message to the Philippines: China will not sit on its hands when its security interests are in danger or under threat. The Philippines will be hurting its own interests if it keeps refusing to change course,” China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a press conference late Thursday evening.
Mao said that for the Philippines to maintain “strategic independence, good-neighborliness and friendship, and peaceful development,” it must remove the missile system.
China said it views the Typhon as an offensive weapon, and that its presence in the Philippines fuels geopolitical tensions and contributes to an arms race in the region.
Without mentioning the United States, Mao said the Philippines “has helped a country outside the region deploy military forces and stoke confrontation in the region.”
“The Philippines once clearly promised that it will not choose sides between major countries, not engage in any activities that will harm China’s interests and doesn’t intend to incite tensions in the region,” Mao said.
“But then the Philippine side went back on its word, saying they would like to have the Typhon here in the Philippines forever and even plans to acquire the systems. This is a deliberate breach of the Philippines’ own words,” she added.
This was the third time in less than a week that Beijing issued a statement on Manila’s plan to acquire the missile system that would allow the Army to protect vessels up to 370 kilometers or 200 nautical miles off the coast – the limit of the Philippines’ maritime entitlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Mao said the Philippines has been “making provocations” in the South China Sea by collaborating with external forces to “flex muscle.”
Beijing has been claiming the entire SCS, including the West Philippine Sea, despite international laws and an international arbitral ruling that invalidated its claim.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told Beijing to stop its “saber-rattling” and “interference” in Manila’s internal affairs.
“The Philippines is a sovereign state, not any country’s ‘doorstep,'” Teodoro said in a statement. “Any deployment and procurement of assets related to the Philippines’ security and defense fall within its own sovereign prerogative and are not subject to any foreign veto.”
“If the Chinese Communist Party is truly intent on reducing tensions and instability in the region, they should cease their saber rattling, stop their provocative actions, halt their interference in other countries’ internal affairs, withdraw their illegal presence from the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, and adhere to international law,” Teodoro added.
The US Army deployed the mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines earlier this year for the annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally, and decided to leave it at the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte.
Laoag airport is not among the nine sites covered by the Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. It is, however, near two EDCA sites – the Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport – both in Cagayan province that is near Taiwan.
The missile system can fire the Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.
Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said: “At 200 nautical miles, there is no land there and the army cannot go there. We need to contribute to this (defense of Philippine interests) by having this platform to be able to assist the primary major service that would focus on maritime and air domain.”
Under that scenario, the Typhon platform “will protect our floating assets,” Galido said, a reference to ships of the Philippine navy, coast guard and other vessels.
He said Army personnel have been training on the missile system since it was left by the US after the Balikatan exercises in April.
“We are learning a lot,” Galido said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “China to Philippines: Withdraw Typhon missile or face consequences”
