US Ally Turns Tables on China Over Missile Complaints

US Ally Turns Tables on China Over Missile Complaints

The Philippines offered China a deal on Thursday, demanding it stop its aggressive behavior in the South China Sea in exchange for the removal of a U.S. missile system in the nation.

Newsweek has emailed the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command for comment. Both the Chinese defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters

The Philippines has hosted a U.S. Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system, also known as Typhon, since April 2024. Initially it was stated that this was just for exercises but both nations later decided to keep it in the country “indefinitely.” The land-based weapon can launch two types of missiles for land attack, air defense and anti-ship missions, and is capable of striking targets up to 1,000 miles away.

China has territorial disputes with the Philippines in the South China Sea and there have been frequent maritime confrontations between Chinese and Philippine forces. Manila has signed a security treaty with Washington that comes with mutual defense commitments and Beijing has also repeatedly raised objections to the U.S. missile deployment, denouncing it as a “highly dangerous move.”

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told reporters that he will “return everything” if China stops its “aggressive and coercive behavior” in the contested South China Sea.

“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,” he said.

China has increasingly sent armed coast guard ships to the waters near the Philippines to reinforce its territorial claims with law enforcement patrols, ramming maneuvers, and water cannons, as well as the use of high-power lasers against Philippine vessels.