Philippines Says US Missile System Temporary After China Rebuke

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines’ top diplomat said the deployment of a US missile system in the Southeast Asian nation was only made “temporarily,” in response to China’s criticism last month that it could lead to regional tension.

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At a forum with foreign correspondents in Manila on Friday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo recalled how his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi told him during a meeting in July that the US missile system “could be destabilizing.”

Manalo said his response to Wang was: “No, they are not destabilizing.” He said he believed the missiles Wang was referring to are only there “temporarily.”

Late last month, Wang was reported to have brought up the issue on the US missile system with Manalo during a regional forum in Laos, while accusing the Philippines of breaking consensus in the South China Sea.

The US military said in a statement in April that the Mid-Range Capability missile system was deployed for the first time to the northern Philippines as part of defense drills.

The Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been bolstering its security alliance with the US. The US recently pledged an “unprecedented” level of defense funding to the Philippines amounting to $500 million, reinforcing an increasingly important alliance ahead of the US presidential election in November.

At the same time, Manila has been asserting its claims in the South China Sea, causing clashes and strained ties with Beijing.

Philippines Fortifies South China Sea Outpost For a Decade

To de-escalate tensions, China and the Philippines agreed on a “provisional arrangement” on the resupply of its troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, Manila’s outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal. They also agreed on a hotline that includes representatives of Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Manalo said at the forum that the Philippines will stick to its commitments under the deal with China, without giving further details.

The Cabinet official said that the Philippines’ stronger ties with allies are not aimed at any other country. He also said Manila’s cooperation with Hanoi could be “a good model” on how nations could manage differences.

Vietnam and the Philippines have been locked in disputes with China over parts of the South China Sea. The two Southeast Asian nations have recently submitted separate information to the United Nations, asserting exclusive rights to resources in the disputed sea.

In June, Vietnam offered to hold talks with the Philippines about overlapping maritime claims.

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