- China was "very dramatic" after the US deployed a new missile system in the Western Pacific, a Philippines official said.
- The US put the new Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Philippines during an exercise in April.
China apparently had a "very dramatic" reaction to the US deploying a new missile system in the Western Pacific, according to the Philippines' top diplomat.
The weapon in question is the Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, missile system, a new US military asset which was deployed during a joint US-Philippines training back in April.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Friday that his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, expressed concern over the missile system during their talks on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Laos last month, per the Associated Press.
Manalo said that while he and Yi discussed the situation, "they made it very dramatic," but he reassured Yi shouldn't be worried.
Manalo said that China's foremost concern was that the system could be destabilizing to security and relations in the region, which he disagreed with. He also noted that the deployment to the Philippines is only temporary.
The MRC system was first brought to the Philippines in April during joint US-Philippine exercises for a "landmark deployment" marking "a significant milestone for the new capability while enhancing interoperability, readiness, and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines," US Army Pacific said in a statement at the time.
The MRC is a ground-based, versatile missile system capable of firing both the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. It wasn't fired during the trainings and is still deployed there now, although it may be relocated as soon as next month.
This particular capability, which was once barred by the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia that is no longer in effect, has the potential to bolster America's force posture in the Pacific.
China's concerns align with its long-standing opposition to US deployment of military assets in the region and efforts to strengthen and secure its position in the region.
China has also accused US allies like the Philippines of serving American interests to the detriment of their own. "The Philippines are inviting wolves into the house and willingly acting as their pawns," a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson said on social media, per Reuters reporting.
The US and its allies, on the other hand, have accused China of increasingly hostile actions in the area.
In the South China Sea, especially, China has recently engaged in more aggressive actions in its territorial disputes, as well as a variety of dangerous flight maneuvers and intercepts, with the US, the Philippines, and other allies.