The Philippines said Monday that it plans to acquire a new controversial US missile system, known as the Typhon, prompting Beijing to warn of an “arms race” in the region.
The Typhon missile launcher is a ground-based system concealed in a 40-foot shipping container that can fire nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 miles, and SM-6 missiles, which can hit targets up to 290 miles away.
The US began developing the Typhon after it withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. The INF was a Cold War-era treaty between the US and Russia that prohibited the development of ground-based missiles with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles.
The US sent a Typhon system to the Philippines in April for military drills. The deployment was initially said to be temporary, but the Typhon is still there despite strong protests from Beijing.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the Philippine Army, told reporters Manila would acquire a Typhon system “because we see its feasibility and its functionality in our concept of archipelagic defense implementation.”
“I’m happy to report to our fellow countrymen that your army is developing this capability for the interest of protecting our sovereignty,” Galido said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked about Galido’s comments and said, “China firmly opposes US deployment of Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Philippines. We have made clear this opposition more than once.”
“Let me stress again that the Philippines, by bringing in this strategic offensive weapon, is enabling a country outside the region to fuel tensions and antagonism in this region and incite geopolitical confrontation and arms race,” Mao added.
Except the Philippines, as a broke-dick nation, can't afford to buy the US missile system, or the missiles it will fire, in the first place, and the USA would never trust what it considers to be WOGs with the control of such a system in the second place.
So this really means the creation of new US controlled military installations in the islands, with the forward deployment of nuclear capable systems manned by US troops.
So the headline should REALLY read "Philippines says it will bow to US bribes and bullying and allow the installation and control by the USA of a controversial missile system that increases the risks of war and destruction in the Philippines".
This is a system US perfected over decades and applied world wide. Such news should also disclose the source of funding. Since most global “initiatives” are not funded, social security tax is a reliable source of funds. To pay social security Treasury must borrow money, therefore. social Security becomes “unfunded mandate”. Neat.
Chaos is US policy. Not quite enough chaos right now, need more chaos.
I am sure China will soon have plenty of Hazelnuts. With thousands of factory floors nobody will be any wiser. It is possible that Russia would also prefer being manufactured there. Bits and pieces in multiple factories, shipped in containers to Russia by trains, trucks or ships. They actually taljed openly aabout this years ago, but not considered important in our data-mining basex news industry.
Another US vassal…! Where is Rodrigo Roa Duterte when we need him…!