Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File



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Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1735026353852171929591288020181119-chinese-flag-xi-jinping-state-visit-MD-8757.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File"/>Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</div><div style="text-align:left">MANILA — The Department of National Defense on Tuesday accused China of &quot;sponsoring criminal syndicates&quot; as it defended the deployment of US mid-range missile assets to the Philippines.</div>&quot;While the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is criticizing the modest capability development of the Philippines, they are continuously building up their nuclear arsenal and ballistic missile capability, sponsoring criminal syndicates and subversive organizations beyond their shores, and are unwilling to uphold human rights in their own country,&quot; DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a statement on Christmas Eve.The Philippines said Monday it planned to acquire the US Typhon missile system as part of a push to secure its maritime interests, sparking warnings from China of a regional &quot;arms race.&quot;The US Army deployed the mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines earlier this year for annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally, and decided to leave it there despite criticism by Beijing that it was destabilizing to Asia.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/23/planning-negotiations-for-acquisition-of-mrc-missile-system-underway-ph-army-1255">Philippine military plans to acquire US Typhon missile system</a></div>&quot;If the Chinese Communist Party is truly intent on reducing tensions and instability in the region, they should cease their saber rattling, stop their provocative actions, halt their interference in other countries&#x27; internal affairs, withdraw their illegal presence from the Philippines&#x27; EEZ, and adhere to International Law,&quot; Teodoro said.He said the deployment of US mid-range missile assets to the Philippines in the context of joint exercises was &quot;completely legitimate, legal, and beyond reproach.&quot;&quot;The Philippines is a sovereign state, not any country’s &#x27;doorstep.&#x27; Any deployment and procurement of assets related to the Philippines’ security and defense fall within its own sovereign prerogative and are not subject to any foreign veto,&quot; he said.Teodoro pointed out that the enhancement of Philippine defense capabilities under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept was undertaken based on the Philippines’ national interest and independent foreign policy. &quot;It is not targeted against specific countries. Instead, it is targeted against security risks, threats, and challenges,&quot; he said.<div>&#x27;PROJECT FORCE&#x27;</div>The land-based &quot;mid-range capability&quot; Typhon missile launcher, developed by US firm Lockheed Martin for the US Army, has a range of 300 miles (480 kilometers), though a longer-range version is in development.Philippine Army chief Lieutenant-General Roy Galido told a news conference on Monday the Typhon system would enable the army to &quot;project force&quot; outwards up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers), which is the limit of the archipelago nation&#x27;s maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.&quot;You have to take note of the fact that at 200 nautical miles there is no land there and the army cannot go there,&quot; he said.The Typhon platform &quot;will protect our floating assets&quot;, he said, a reference to ships of the Philippine navy, coast guard and other vessels.Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun warned in June that the Typhon deployment was &quot;severely damaging regional security and stability&quot;.But Galido dismissed the criticism of the Typhon system in the Philippines.&quot;We should not be bothered by others&#x27; seeming insecurities because we don&#x27;t have any plans to go outside of our country&#x27;s interests,&quot; he said.Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.Manila and Washington, longstanding treaty allies, have deepened their defense cooperation since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing&#x27;s claims to the South China Sea.

The Department of National Defense on Tuesday accused China of "sponsoring criminal syndicates" as it defended the deployment of US mid-range missile assets to the Philippines.

The Department of National Defense on Tuesday accused China of "sponsoring criminal syndicates" as it defended the deployment of US mid-range missile assets to the Philippines.

Defense chief accuses China of 'sponsoring criminal syndicates' | ABS-CBN

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Defense chief accuses China of 'sponsoring criminal syndicates'

Defense chief accuses China of 'sponsoring criminal syndicates'

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published Dec 24, 2024 04:24 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 24, 2024 05:20 PM PHT

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