Pacific Missile Crisis: US points Typhon at China from Philippines

The US Typhon missile system’s indefinite deployment in the Philippines signals a bold move to counter China in the Pacific, heightening regional tensions to a new level while stoking political divisions in the Philippines.

This month, multiple media sources reported that the US will retain its mid-range Typhon missile system in the northern Philippines indefinitely, despite Chinese concerns and the risks of retaliatory escalation, according to Philippine and US officials.

The system, which can launch Tomahawk and Standard Missile-6 weapons and potentially hit targets in mainland China, was initially brought in for joint exercises staged in April.

The combat drills tested the system’s deployability aboard Air Force aircraft. Philippine officials are considering keeping the missile system in the northern Philippines up to April next year, when US and Philippine forces will hold their annual Balikatan large-scale combat exercises, AP reported.

The Typhon’s continued presence signals the US and Philippines’ intent to bolster regional deterrence amid rising South China Sea and Taiwan Strait tensions. Chinese officials, including the foreign ministry, have expressed alarm, warning that the deployment could destabilize the region and lead to an arms race.

However, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro rejected these claims, accusing China of interference in the Philippines’ internal affairs and using “reverse psychology” to deter the improvement of his country’s defense capabilities.

He further criticized China for its military buildup in the South China Sea, where it has fortified islands with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, and called on Beijing to “destroy their nuclear arsenal, remove all their ballistic