US backs PH over China's missile launch concerns

The United States expressed support for the Philippines on Tuesday after the latter raised concerns over China's recent missile launch, saying Beijing's actions undermine regional stability.

In a statement, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton said the US Embassy shares the Philippines' concerns, echoing the Department of National Defense's (DND) position.

"The ironclad US-Philippine alliance has been a tremendous and transparent source of regional peace and stability for over seven decades," Lipton said.

He added that Beijing's "provocative missile launch" is "further evidence of its rapid and secretive nuclear weapons development program, which runs counter to regional stability and is inconsistent with the pursuit of meaningful arms control discussion."

Lipton also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the Philippines, describing it as the United States' "oldest security ally in the region."

We share the Philippines’ concerns about China's ballistic missile test launches and remain committed to our oldest security Ally in the region. #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific https://t.co/zovdr79AQd pic.twitter.com/ho9ZqEFRTX

— U.S. Ambassador Lee Lipton (@USAmbPH) July 7, 2026

The Philippines and the United States are treaty allies and maintain close defense cooperation through agreements including the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Earlier, the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed concern over China's recent ballistic missile test in the South Pacific, with the DND describing it as a "reckless display of military power."

In a statement, Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the missile test "shows little regard for smaller countries and the fragile ecological systems that sustain their people."

"This launch serves no peaceful purpose and is a calculated act of taunting and provocation against those who reject China's illegal expansionism and coercive conduct," he said.

"The Philippines stands with its Pacific partners in calling on China to act responsibly and stop turning shared seas into arenas of intimidation and imperial ambition," Andolong added.

GMA News Online reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Manila for its comment and will update this story once a response is issued.

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, a People's Liberation Army Navy nuclear submarine launched a ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead toward international waters in the Pacific at 12:01 p.m. (0401 GMT). —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/LDF, GMA News