China opposes US missile deployment in the Philippines

The system was deployed in April last year for military exercises, but the US and the Philippines later decided to keep it indefinitely, which China has repeatedly condemned as an "extremely dangerous move".

Mr. Driscoll visits Multi-Domain Task Force 1 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Photo: X/SecArmy

At a press conference on the event, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said: "We once again demand that the Philippines... promptly withdraw the Typhon missile system as committed to the public."

In a post on X on March 13, Mr. Driscoll emphasized that the US has "demonstrated the deterrent effectiveness of the MRC through flexible deployment in the Philippines" and expressed his expectation of future opportunities to demonstrate strength.

The Army is also considering deploying the Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), which operates the MRC and the Long Range Hypersonic Missile (LRHW), to Japan. A second MDTF, the Hawaii-based 3rd Maritime Self-Defense Force, is expected to deploy to the region next year.

At a press conference, Colonel Michael Rose, commander of the 3rd MDTF, said the US military "continually looks for opportunities to deploy this capability on the battlefield."

Ngoc Anh (according to Defense News, Newsweek)