China ‘dramatically’ alarmed by US missile deployment: Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — China expressed its “very dramatic” alarm over a mid-range missile system that the U.S. military recently deployed to the Philippines, and warned it could destabilize the region. But Manila’s top diplomat said Friday he reassured his Chinese counterpart that the weaponry was only in the country temporarily.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, expressed China’s concern over the U.S. mid-range missile deployment to the Philippines during their talks last month in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings with Asian and Western countries.

“We discussed it and, well, they made it very dramatic,” Manalo said in response to questions during a news conference with foreign correspondents in Manila. “I said you shouldn’t be worried.”

Pressed to specify what China’s specific concerns were, Manalo said Wang warned the presence of the U.S. missile system could be “destabilizing,” but the Philippine foreign affairs chief said he disagreed.

“They’re not destabilizing” and the missile system was only in the Philippines temporarily, Manalo said he told Wang.

The U.S. Army said in April it transported the mid-range missile system, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, from the U.S. to the northern Philippines as part of combat exercises with Philippine troops.

The missile system, however, was not fired during the joint combat exercises of the longtime treaty allies and the Philippine military has said the missile system may be transported out of the country next month.

China has strongly opposed increased U.S. military deployments to the region, including to the Philippines, and warned these could endanger regional stability and peace.

The U.S. and the Philippines have repeatedly condemned China’s increasingly assertive actions to fortify its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where hostilities have particularly flared since last year between Chinese and Philippine coast guard forces and accompanying vessels.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the busy waterways, a key global and security route.

菲律宾马尼拉——中国对美国军方近期部署到菲律宾的中程导弹系统表示“非常严重”的担忧，并警告称该系统可能破坏地区稳定。但马尼拉最高外交官周五表示，他已向中国同行保证，这些武器只是暂时部署在菲律宾。

菲律宾外交部长恩里克·马纳洛表示，上个月在老挝举行的东南亚国家联盟亚洲和西方国家会议期间，中国外长王毅在会谈中表达了中国对美国向菲律宾部署中程导弹的关切。

“我们讨论过这件事，结果他们把它渲染得非常戏剧化，”马纳洛在马尼拉举行的新闻发布会上回答外国记者提问时说。“我说你们不必担心。”

当被追问中国的具体担忧是什么时，马纳洛表示，王毅警告说，美国导弹系统的存在可能会“破坏稳定”，但菲律宾外交部长表示他不同意这种说法。

马纳洛说他告诉王毅，“它们不会造成不稳定”，而且导弹系统只是暂时在菲律宾。

美国陆军在 4 月份表示，已将中程导弹系统（一种陆基武器，可发射标准-6 导弹和战斧陆攻导弹）从美国运往菲律宾北部，作为与菲律宾军队进行作战演习的一部分。

然而，在长期条约盟友的联合作战演习中，该导弹系统并未进行试射。菲律宾军方表示，该导弹系统可能会在下个月运出该国。

中国强烈反对美国向该地区（包括菲律宾）增派军事力量，并警告称这些行动可能会危及地区稳定与和平。

美国和菲律宾多次谴责中国在南海采取日益强硬的行动来巩固其领土主张。自去年以来，中国和菲律宾海警部队及随行船只在南海的敌对行动尤为频繁。

除了中国和菲律宾之外，越南、马来西亚、文莱和台湾也对这条繁忙的水道（一条重要的全球和安全通道）拥有重叠的主权声索。