Beijing warns Manila anew on U.S. missiles

China once again warned the Philippines that the deployment of the US-made intermediate-range missile system “undermines regional peace and stability.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the deployment is not in the interests of regional countries, as Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. asserted the Philippines “will do what needs to be done to create a credible deterrent posture.”

Teodoro, the reported subject of ramblings within the ranks of the military over his alleged failure of leadership, said the deployment of the MRC is part of the country’s Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Posture.

The stance reinforces efforts by the government to protect the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones, particularly in the West Philippine Sea and Philippine Rise.

“It seems to me that before other countries interfere with the creation of our credible defense posture, they should first stop their illegal activities, get out of the West Philippine Sea, take away their ballistic capabilities and destroy their nuclear arsenal,” he said.

Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala told DAILY TRIBUNE that the Philippines is only maximizing the US Army’s deployment of its MRC missile system, which is targeted to improve interoperability, readiness and defense capabilities in the country.

Since its deployment in April this year, China has been demanding the removal of the American Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system from the Philippines.

The MRC, also known as the Typhon Weapon System, is a Lockheed Martin design that takes the naval Mk. 41 vertical launch system and modifies it for land-based operations.

The ground-based missile system is capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles. If equipped with cruise missiles, it is capable of striking Chinese targets.

The MRC’s arrival in the Philippines angered China. Beijing previously said that the MRC posed a significant regional security threat and “brought huge risks of war into the region” with its deployment in the country.

Wang, who spoke with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in New York on Saturday, also called for preventing “war or chaos on the Korean Peninsula.” He noted that avoiding “war or chaos on the Korean Peninsula is in the common interest of all parties.”

China said it will continue to contribute constructively to long-term peace and stability in the region. Wang noted that the exchanges and cooperation between China and South Korea have become more active this year.