Filipino experts have called for the withdrawal of the U.S. Typhon Mid-Range Capability missile system, accusing the United States of exacerbating tensions in the region and increasing the risk of misjudgment.
MANILA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Typhon Mid-Range Capability missile system, brought to the Philippines under the pretext of military exercises earlier this year, has overstayed, creating a precarious situation for the Southeast Asian archipelago and threatening the strategic stability of Asia-Pacific, Filipino experts have warned.
The United States and the Philippines said recently that they have no immediate plans to withdraw the missile system, despite some countries' firm opposition to its deployment.
In April, the U.S. Army transported the missile system to the northern Philippines as part of their joint military drills, the first time the United States has deployed a mid-range missile system overseas and in Asia-Pacific since the end of the Cold War.
Filipino experts have called for the withdrawal of the missile system, accusing the United States of exacerbating tensions in the region and increasing the risk of misjudgment.
REGIONAL STABILITY AT RISK
Anna Malindog-Uy, vice president of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, voiced her strong disagreement in a written interview with Xinhua about the United States' "provocative" deployment and retaining of the missile system in the Philippines.
"The U.S. deployment suggests an offensive strategy rather than mere defense," she said. "The risks of an arms race, diplomatic rifts, and military escalation are real and evident, making this a critical issue for Filipinos to call for transparency and accountability from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr."
Echoing Malindog-Uy's remarks, Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for The Philippine Star, a local newspaper, told Xinhua that it is "unfortunate" that the mid-range missile system has been kept in the Philippines, stressing the need to "maintain the ASEAN region as a demilitarized zone of peace and stability."
"This deployment is unfortunate and worrisome because it might trigger an unhealthy arms race throughout Asia and increase geopolitics tensions among major countries and regional countries," he said.
The current Philippine government has given the United States the green light to use nine military bases across the country to store military hardware and equipment, alongside launching a series of joint military exercises, which would jeopardize the hard-won regional peace and stability, experts have warned.
"The growing U.S. military presence not only undermines the Philippines' sovereignty but also raises the specter of the country as a strategic target in any potential military confrontations involving U.S. adversaries," Malindog-Uy said, expressing her concern that the Philippines is cast "as a tool, if not a pawn, in the broader U.S. containment strategy against China."
RIGHT PATH TO GO
Many Filipino experts have cautioned about the danger of aligning too closely with the United States, urging the country to resist external interference in its dialogue with China and not to deviate from ASEAN's guiding principles.
Lee said that "the ideal path" for the Philippines is to maintain pragmatic and strategic neutrality concerning China-U.S. relations and to pursue an independent foreign policy that avoids siding with one country against another.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Lucio Blanco Pitlo, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and Aaron Jed Rabena, a research fellow at the Manila-based think tank Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, highlighted the significance of a recent meeting in Beijing between heads of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, noting that both sides engaged in candid and in-depth discussions about their maritime issues.
The experts also stressed the importance of continued diplomatic communication.
Malindog-Uy called for the removal of the U.S.-linked missile system in the Philippines as soon as possible, urging the government to adopt a balanced approach that considers defense needs, national security, independence and sovereignty, and regional peace and stability.
She advised the Marcos administration to focus on effective diplomacy and communication. ■