MANILA (Reuters) – The United States has no immediate plans to withdraw a mid-range missile system deployed in the Philippines, despite Chinese demands, and is testing the feasibility of its use in a regional conflict, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
IF advocates of the United States’ access to bases of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and US deployment of intermediate-range missiles prove the above headline unduly alarmist, this writer would be most thankful.
Turkish citizens have taken to the streets in Izmir to demonstrate against the docking of an American warship, expressing solidarity with Palestinians and their opposition to US all-out military support for Israel amid the Gaza genocide.
Bloomberg: The Philippines’ top military official said that the deployment of the US missile system in the country was mainly for training. China has been in the past said that the weapon system could be destabilizing. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comments on the recent comments by the Philippines’ military chief?
Lin Jian: On the US deployment of Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Philippines, China has made clear our opposition more than once. This move by the US and the Philippines incites geopolitical confrontation, escalates tensions in the region, and harms regional peace and stability. It has aroused high vigilance and concerns of countries in the region. The Philippines needs to have a clear understanding of the real intention of the US, respond to the common concerns of regional countries, avoid acting as the cat’s paw for the US at the expense of its own security interest, and quickly pull out the missile system as publicly pledged.
In the event of a conflict with China or Russia, the Naval Special Warfare community is expected to have an even larger role than it had during the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaigns of the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Tensions are mounting on the Korean Peninsula as South Korea and the United States prepare for key annual joint military drills amid increasing nuclear threats from North Korea. The exercises, scheduled for Aug. 19-29, are designed to improve defenses against missile strikes, GPS jamming and cyber threats.
DARWIN, July 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. military is building infrastructure in northern Australia to help it project power into the South China Sea if a crisis with China erupts, a Reuters review of documents and interviews with U.S. and Australian defence officials show.
SYDNEY – A remote Australian island close to an Indian Ocean chokepoint for Chinese oil shipments is on a list of possible locations for US military construction aimed at deterring China, with the US saying it “may or may not” support American forces.
Philippine and Japan navies held their first bilateral drills in the contested waters, the Southeast Asian nation’s military said in a statement Friday.
You must be logged in to post a comment.