PH to China: We never promised Typhon removal

The armies of the US and the Philippines conduct a subject matter expert exchange about the Typhon midrange capability missile on June 27, 2024, in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. —US ARMY PACIFIC

The Philippines made no commitment to China to ship out the US Typhon missile system deployed to the country since April last year, the National Security Council (NSC) said on Friday.

Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, the NSC spokesperson, issued the statement after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the Philippines “breached” its commitment “that the deployment was temporary.”

“The Philippines never promised the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that we would withdraw the Typhon missile system,” Malaya said at a press briefing in Manila with other Philippine security officials. “We never made any commitment to PRC in this regard.”

‘Temporary’

Guo said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday that “the Philippines has gone back on its words again and again.”

“The Philippines has explained itself multiple times regarding the introduction of the Typhon system, pledging that the deployment was ‘temporary’ and that the system will be shipped out of the country after relevant military exercises,” he said.

“However, it has breached such commitments, claiming [it] would acquire its own midrange system and field these deterrent capabilities, and linking the South China Sea issue with the Typhon system,” he added.

Malaya said Beijing was being “deceptive” in commenting on the deployment of the US missile system to the Philippines because China had also been conducting “routine military trainings” where it deployed or tested some of its ballistic missiles.

“At every specific instance that the PRC has conducted these tests, they never heard from us. We never criticized, we never commented even on their continued improvement of their offensive capabilities,” he said.

“So, we feel that it is deceptive on the part of the People’s Republic of China to comment on our right to improve our defense capabilities and position while they continue to improve their offensive capabilities,” he added.

By using the word “commitment.” Beijing made it appear that the Philippine government “made a commitment to them,” Malaya said.

Earlier timeline

He said that if the Chinese were referring to a statement by Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala in July last year that the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system would be shipped out by September 2024, “that is not the guidance from higher authorities” and was “simply an opinion … that do not speak for the policies of the Philippine government.”

In January, President Marcos told China to stop harping on Manila’s military affairs, particularly on the deployment of the Typhon missile system to the country.

The Philippines will return the Typhon to the United States if China drops its claims to the West Philippine Sea and stops harassing Filipino vessels and fishermen, Mr. Marcos said.

Reacting to Malaya’s statement, Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said the Philippines was not “only giving up its own security and national defense to others, but also introducing the risks of geopolitical confrontation and arms race into the region.”

He said the Typhon was a “strategic offensive weapon.”

The Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from the Typhon launchers can hit targets in both China and Russia from the Philippines, while the SM-6 missiles can strike air or sea targets more than 200 kilometers away.

The Typhon was brought into the country in April 2024 for the annual war games between Filipino and American troops.

Philippine security officials said it was redeployed from the Laoag airfield in Ilocos Norte to an undisclosed location on Luzon Island.

In the meantime, the Typhon will remain in the Philippines, according to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año.