China Voiced Alarm Over US Missiles in Philippines

China has reportedly been rattled by a US mid-range missile system that was deployed to the Philippines in the spring, at least according to Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. He says the topic came up in a discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Laos.

During a news conference in Manila, Manalo noted that Wang Yi portrayed the situation as "very dramatic" and labeled the US presence as potentially "destabilizing." Manalo countered, insisting the missiles were non-threatening and would soon be removed. The US Army had moved the land-based missile system to the northern Philippines in April for joint combat exercises with Philippine forces, but it was never fired and will may exit the country in September.

China has long been bothered by any US military presence in the region, while the US and the Philippines have repeatedly criticized China's assertive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Tensions here have escalated in the past year among Chinese and Philippine maritime forces. Other nations with overlapping claims in these crucial waters include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)