Marcos offers China a missile ‘deal’
- President Marcos dares Beijing: “Stop claiming our territory, stop harassing our fishermen and let them have a living, stop ramming our boats, stop water-cannoning our people… then I’ll return the [US] Typhon missiles.”
- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning again has earlier called on the Philippines to pull out the Typhon missile launchers sent over by its longtime security ally, US.
- From the Philippines, the Typhon system can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and hit targets in China and Russia.
Here’s the deal: the Philippines will “return” the Typhon missile launchers to the United States if China will drop its claim on the West Philippine Sea and stop its harassment of Filipino vessels.
It was an off-the-cuff offer made by President Marcos in response to Beijing’s continuing objection to the presence of the American weapons system on Philippine soil since April.
Sounding exasperated, Mr. Marcos made his first public comment on China’s position following reports that the Typhon would again be used in the next joint military exercises between Philippine and US forces.
Speaking to reporters in Lapu-Lapu City, Mr. Marcos said he found it baffling that Beijing kept harping on Manila’s military affairs.
“I don’t understand their comments on the Typhon missile system. We don’t make any comments on their missile systems, and their missile systems are a thousand times more powerful than what we have. So I don’t understand,” he said.
‘The wrong path’
“You know, 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,” the President said.
“Stop firing lasers at us and stop your aggressive and coercive behavior. And I’ll return the Typhon missiles. They stop what they’re doing, and I’ll return all of it.”
At a press briefing in Beijing last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning again called on the Philippines to pull out the Typhon missile launchers sent over by its longtime security ally.
“We once again call on the Philippines to heed the call from regional countries and their peoples, correct the wrongdoing as soon as possible, quickly pull out the Typhon missile system as publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path,” Mao said.
She made the statement a day after Reuters, quoting a senior Philippine government source, reported the relocation of the launchers from an airfield in Laoag City to another unspecified site in Luzon.
From the Philippines, the Typhon system can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and hit targets in China and Russia. Beijing has been protesting its Philippine deployment since April, saying it was essentially inciting an arms race and creating tensions and antagonism in the region.
