BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Explained has warned the Philippines against the deployment of medium-range missiles by the US, saying such a move could escalate regional tensions and trigger an arms race.
The United States deployed its Typhon missile system to the Philippines earlier this year as part of a joint military exercise. A Philippine military official later said it was not fired during the exercise, but did not say how long it would remain in the country.
China-Philippines relations are now at a crossroads and dialogue and consultation are the right way forward, Wang said on Friday when he met Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo in the Laotian capital Vientiane, where top diplomats from world powers have gathered ahead of two summits.
According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang said relations between the two countries were facing challenges as the Philippines had “repeatedly violated the consensus of the two sides and its own commitments.”
“If the Philippines deploys the US medium-range missile system, it will cause tension and confrontation in the region and trigger an arms race, which is completely in line with the interests and wishes of the Filipino people,” Wang said.
The Philippines’ military and its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wang’s remarks.
China and the Philippines are embroiled in a confrontation in the South China Sea, and the standoff has grown more tense as Beijing asserts its claim to disputed waters within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
Referring to the Second Thomas Shoal, Wang said China recently reached a temporary arrangement with the Philippines on transporting and replenishing humanitarian supplies to Ren’an Jiao to maintain maritime stability.
On Saturday, Philippine ships successfully completed their latest mission without any obstacles, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
(Reporting by Kevin Yao; Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales in Manila; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
