Following a reaction from China, the Philippines has spoken out about the US Typhon missile system.

Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Año stated that the Typhon missile system in the country is for defensive purposes only and is not aimed at any particular nation.

The US Typhon medium-range missile system was deployed to the Philippines last year.

The Cebu Daily News reported on February 1st, citing a statement from the Philippine National Security Council (NSC), that the Typhon medium-range missile system in the country "is not aimed against any particular nation."

The statement was issued after China urged the Philippines to "quickly withdraw" its Typhon missile system, following reports that the US deployed the system to a new location in the Philippines on January 23.

"We want to emphasize that the Typhon missile system is for defensive purposes only and is not aimed at any particular country," Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Año said in a statement.

"It was deployed to the Philippines during the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise in 2024, solely for the purpose of improving readiness and interoperability with troops and equipment from other countries, including the U.S.," according to Año.

In addition, Mr. Año stated that the continued deployment of the Typhon missile system is crucial to improving the Philippines' defense capabilities.

Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr. previously emphasized that the missile system "is not aimed at any specific country."

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The Typhon missile system was delivered to the country in April 2024 and was first deployed during the Balikatan 2024 exercise, an annual joint exercise between the Philippine and US militaries with the participation of observers from allied countries.

In an interview with the media on January 30, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was ready to withdraw the missiles from the country if China ceased its aggressive actions in the waters west of the Philippines.

Mr. Año stated that the statement was "a sincere gesture… which we hope will be reciprocated in the spirit of goodwill and friendship between the two countries," adding that the Philippines "always pursues peaceful and diplomatic measures consistent with the desire to de-escalate tensions" in the region.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bi-trung-quoc-phan-ung-philippines-len-tieng-ve-he-thong-ten-lua-typhon-cua-my-185250201092146598.htm