Philippine President Will Return US Missile System if China Ceases Aggression, States.
Dismissing Beijing’s objection over the Typhon system, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that China’s systems are ‘a thousand times more powerful’.
On Thursday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that he would return the U.S. Typhon missile system stationed in the country if China stops its aggression in the South China Sea.
The U.S. Army deployed the mid-range missile system to the Philippines in April 2024 during a military exercise, which led to repeated objections from Beijing.
During a regular press conference on Jan. 23, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning criticized the Philippines for bringing the missile system into the region, accusing them of creating tensions and inciting an arms race.
Responding to Beijing’s stance, Marcos said, “We don’t make any comments on their missile systems, and their missile systems are a thousand times more powerful than what we have.” He proposed a deal with China to return the Typhon missiles if they stop their aggressive behavior in Philippine territory.
The Typhon system, a land-based ground-launched system, can fire the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, which has a range of over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), putting parts of mainland China within reach.
Deployed by the United States’ first Multi-Domain Task Force amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the Typhon system has been a point of contention between the Philippines and China.
Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas named by the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea, leading to tensions with neighboring countries in the region.
In the past two years, Chinese vessels have engaged in numerous confrontations with Philippine ships, including ramming incidents and firing flares at Philippine aircraft.
Manila has faced challenges from Beijing’s aggressive operations in the region, with allies like the United States condemning China’s actions.
Despite Beijing’s justifications for its operations, Manila remains firm in its stance against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
Dorothy Li and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
