China says it ‘will not sit idly’ over US Typhon missiles in PH

China voiced its opposition to the United States’ deployment of Typhon missiles in the Philippines, saying it "will not sit idly by" with the threat posed by the deployment of the missile system amid the tensions in the South China Sea.

“China will not sit idly by when its security interests are harmed or threatened. Countries in the region will by no means accept this move that goes against the trend of the times,” said China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun in a press briefing Wednesday. 

“We call on the Philippines to change its course, and make a strategic choice that truly serves the fundamental interest of itself and its people, rather than staying on the wrong path and hurting the Philippines itself when it comes to issues like Typhon,” he added. 

Guo made the statement when asked about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s earlier statement that he is willing to pull out the US Typhon missile in the country if China will stop its acts of aggression in the contested waters.

"Let’s make a deal with China: Stop claiming our territory, stop harassing our fishermen and let them have a living, stop ramming our boats, stop water cannoning our people, stop firing lasers at us, and stop your aggressive and coercive behavior, and I'll return the Typhon missiles. Itigil nila ‘yung ginagawa nila, ibabalik ko lahat ‘yan. [Once they stop what they are doing, I will return everything],” said Marcos.

For its part, Beijing believes that the deployment of the US Army missiles in the Philippines does no good in regional stability.

“The U.S. deployment of the system in the Philippines severely damages peace and stability in the region, and harms the legitimate security interests of other countries,” said Guo.

“The Philippines has worked with the US to bring in the Typhon system. It’s placing its national security and defense in the hands of others and introducing geopolitical confrontation and risk of arms race into the region, which does no one good,” he insisted.

A senior Philippine government source earlier said that the US military has moved its Mid-Range Capability missile system from Laoag airfield in Ilocos Norte to another, undisclosed location in Luzon, Reuters earlier reported.

The Tomahawk cruise missiles in the launchers can hit targets in both China and Russia from the Philippines while the SM-6 missiles can strike air or sea targets at a range of more than 200 kilometers, the report said.

According to the Philippine official, the redeployment would help determine where and how fast the missile battery could be moved to a new firing position.

However, the Philippine Army said the Typhon missile launchers will not be used for live-fire exercises in the upcoming military drills. They will be used instead during training on the payload delivery system.

Meanwhile, Marcos on Tuesday endorsed the administration’s senatorial bets for the upcoming midterm elections, noting that they oppose China’s aggressive acts.

In response, the Chinese official said that Beijing opposes any exploitation of the South China Sea.

“Let me respond by adapting his sentence: none of the Chinese people would refrain from a lawful and legitimate response, doing nothing when China is hit by infringement and provocation from the Philippines. China opposes exploiting the South China Sea issue for political manipulation,” said Guo.

The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China since the start of the Marcos administration. 

GMA News Online reached out to the Department of National Defense for comment.—RF, GMA Integrated News