China warns Philippines of ‘arms race’ over US missiles

The introduction of the intermediate-range weapons would fuel “tension and confrontation” in the region, Beijing has said

Beijing has warned Manila against hosting US intermediate-range missile systems in the country, stating that it could ultimately trigger an “arms race” in the region.

The comments were made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday as he met with his Philippines counterpart, Enrique Manalo, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane, Laos.

The Philippines and China are facing serious difficulties and risk further straining relations since Manila has “repeatedly violated the consensus of both sides and its own commitments,” Wang said. The potential deployment of US intermediate-range missiles is particularly concerning for Beijing, he added.

”If the Philippines introduces the US intermediate-range missile system, it will create tension and confrontation in the region and trigger an arms race, which is completely not in line with the interests and wishes of the Filipino people,” Wang stated.

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Washington deployed Typhon launchers capable of firing Standard SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles to the Philippines in April. The systems have not been used in live-fire exercises and are set to be withdrawn “in the next several months,” according to an announcement by Manila earlier this month.

The remarks from China’s top diplomat come as Beijing and Manila have managed to ease tensions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, a major waterway which is the subject of overlapping territorial claims by multiple countries.

The two nations have had repeated run-ins in the troubled waters since late last year, after the Philippines ramped up activities around the BRP Sierra Madre, an old tank landing vessel deliberately grounded in 1999 off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and used by Manila as an outpost. Earlier this month, Beijing and Manila reached a “provisional agreement” on resupply missions to the vessel.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the first resupply run under the deal concluded successfully, with the country’s Coast Guard “confirming on-the-scene that the Philippine vessel carried only humanitarian living necessities” and letting it through. On Sunday, however, the Philippines accused China of “mischaracterizing” the deal.

“Instead of acknowledging how two countries were able to manage differences in order to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, the spokesperson chose to misrepresent what has been agreed between the Philippines and China,” Philippines Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza said in a statement.