The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) rejected China’s call to withdraw the United States-made “Typhon” Mid-Range Capability (MRC)in the country, stressing that its presence is intended to enhance Manila’s defense against threats to its security.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the deployment of the mid-range missile system was in line with the country’s longstanding defense relationship with the United States.
“The primary objective of this deployment is to strengthen Philippine military readiness, improve our familiarization and interoperability with advanced weapon systems, and support regional security,” she said on Friday, Jan. 24.
According to a report from news agency Reuters, the US transferred the Typhon missile system to “another location on the island of Luzon” to "determine where and how fast the missile battery could be moved to a new firing position".
The Typhon was deployed by the US government to Laoag, Ilocos Norte in April last year for a joint military exercise between the AFP and its American counterparts.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the move in a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
“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," she said in a news release published by the Chinese Embassy in the US on its website.
The AFP did not confirm nor deny the reported transfer of the Typhon due to potential security implications but Padilla noted that both Manila and Washington coordinate closely on all aspects of the MRC deployment, “including its positioning.”
“These arrangements reflect shared operational considerations and mutual consultations between our two nations,” she said.
The AFP said the decision as to whether or not it will be pulled out must be made by both the governments of the Philippines and United States, not one party alone.
“On the duration of the deployment and other related matters, these decisions are made in close coordination with our allies and partners to align with both operational and security requirements,” Padilla explained.
AFP chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr. earlier disclosed that the decision for the withdrawal of the Typhon shall be decided jointly by Manila and Washington through the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDBSEB).
He had also expressed AFP’s intention to procure the Typhon missile, a move supported by the National Security Council (NSC).
China, which has overlapping territorial claims with Manila in the West Philippine Sea, slammed the planned acquisition, saying it would trigger an arms race in the region.