Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
TheMK socks US Typhon missile system, which was transported from the US to northern Philippines for joint military exercises early this year, was supposed to leave the country but has since then been retained. This situation seems to have emboldened some analysts, who hype the "China threat" as the reason for the missile deployment in the Philippines and accused China of "seeking to impose its will on neighbors." In particular, Army Brigadier General Michael Logico, spokesman of the military exercises, was cited by the media as saying, "China has no right to tell us what to do."
China's defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian on November 28 urged the Philippine side to withdraw the missile system "immediately," stating that the Asia-Pacific region should serve as a grand stage for countries to work together rather than becoming an arena for geopolitical rivalry. He rightly pointed out that "history and reality have repeatedly proven that wherever US weapons are deployed, the risk of war and conflicts will rise, and the local people will suffer undeserved suffering from war."
Philippine scholar Rommel C. Banlaoi told that Global Times that the deployment of the US Typhon missile system in the Philippines will create greater insecurity for the country, as such a US missile on Philippine territory will act as a magnet of attack once a conflict involving the US breaks out in the region. In other words, the US prioritizes its strategic objectives over the security of the Philippines and does not care about Manila's safety, only about how much Manila can contribute to its interests.
For the Philippines, Typhon deployment means more losses than gains. It will only bring risks, conflicts, and an insecure regional strategic situation. Relying more on US support for security will inevitably weaken the Philippines' strategic autonomy and independence. Also, the deployment will unsettle neighboring countries, Malaysia and Indonesia in particular, regarding their own security, which could lead to a regional arms race.
Dai Fan, director of the Center for Philippine Studies at Jinan University in South China's Guangdong Province, told the Global Times that small countries like the Philippines are supposed to take a cautious approach in the context of major power rivalry, but the Philippines is desperately immersing itself in it.
Some Philippine and American analysts tend to use the "China threat" rhetoric to justify the dangerous moves of both countries. Nonetheless, the "China threat" is a misperception of the Philippines. When it fails to provoke China and rally regional support on the South China Sea issue, it reinforces this misperception. The Philippines seeks to increase its bargaining chips when dealing with China by inviting external powers and internationalizing regional affairs, but this approach will ultimately turn it into a pawn of the strategic agendas of these external powers and a target of blame from regional stakeholders. While the "backing" of the US may increase the Philippines' self-confidence in the short term, in the long run, it could make the Philippines more vulnerable in the international situation. For Manila, the Typhon system represents a security liability rather than a security guarantee.
China does not want to see the peace of the entire Asia-Pacific region jeopardized by the Philippines' deployment of the Typhon missile system and the US' incitement behind it. Furthermore, China does not want to see the Philippines become a US proxy that creates regional chaos. As a responsible major power and regional player, China has the right to demand peace in the region. The Philippines should heed the call to avoid escalating tensions and confrontations in order to prevent unnecessary consequences.
