MANILA: The Philippines sought to assure China on Friday that the presence of a US intermediate range missile system on its territory posed no threat to China and would not be a destabilizing factor in the region.
The US deployed its missile system to the Philippines in April as part of the two countries’ joint military drills, the first time it has set up the system in the Indo-Pacific region.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Friday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised concerns over the missile system’s presence which the Beijing official described as “destabilizing” in bilateral talks in Laos on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings.
Manalo assured Wang that the presence of the system was non-threatening, however.
“He (Wang) said it could be destabilizing, the presence, and I said ‘No, they’re not destabilizing’,” Manalo told a forum with foreign correspondents.
“I believe that (the) particular missiles he’s referring to are only there temporarily,” he added.
Wang had warned that the deployment of the US intermediate-range missile system could fuel regional tensions and lead to an arms race.
The Typhon missile system, capable of firing Tomahawk land attack and SM-6 missiles, was not fired during the drills, but the Philippines said it was shipped to test the feasibility of transporting the 40-tonne weapon system by air.
Security engagements between the Philippines and its treaty ally the United States have intensified as both nations seek to counter what they see as China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea and near Taiwan.
Tension between China and the Philippines has increased, in particular over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
Last week, the Philippines accused China’s air force of carrying out dangerous maneuvers over the contested Scarborough Shoal. China maintains its aircraft operated lawfully and professionally.
The air incident came after Manila and Beijing have agreed to better manage maritime disputes.
Manalo also said he hoped that China would honor its provisional arrangement with Manila over the latter’s resupply missions to a beached vessel at another contested spot, the Second Thomas Shoal.
Asked whether that arrangement could be replicated in other contested parts of the South China Sea, Manalo said it would depend on the situation.
China has claimed most of the South China Sea as its territory, including the Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoals.
It rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea had no basis under international law.
Philippines seeks to assure China missile system deployment not a destabilizing factor
https://arab.news/pystd
Philippines seeks to assure China missile system deployment not a destabilizing factor
- The US deployed its missile system to the Philippines in April as part of the two countries’ joint military drills
- The Typhon missile system, capable of firing Tomahawk land attack and SM-6 missiles, was not fired during the drills
Kremlin says Putin is mediating in Iran to normalize situation
- Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin is mediating in the Iran situation to quickly de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said on Friday, after the Russian leader spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Moscow has condemned US threats of new military strikes after Iran acted against protests that broke out late last month.
Putin in his call with Netanyahu expressed Russia’s willingness to “continue its mediation efforts and to promote constructive dialogue with the participation of all interested states,” the Kremlin said, adding he had set out his ideas for boosting stability in the Middle East.
No further details were given on Putin’s mediation attempt.
Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran.
“It was noted that Russia and Iran unanimously and consistently support de-escalating
the tensions — both surrounding Iran and in the region as a whole — as soon as possible
and resolving any emerging issues through exclusively political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said.
Putin and Pezeshkian had confirmed their commitment to their countries’ strategic partnership and to implementing joint economic projects, the Kremlin added.
Separately, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China, India, and Iran, among others, said it opposed external interference in Iran and blamed Western sanctions for creating conditions for unrest.
“Unilateral sanctions have had a significant negative impact on the economic stability of the state, led to a deterioration in people’s living conditions, and objectively limited the ability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement measures to ensure the country’s socio-economic development,” the SCO said in a statement.
Protests erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring inflation in Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions.
Asked what support Russia could provide to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is already providing assistance not only to Iran but also to the entire region, and to the cause of regional stability and peace. This is partly thanks to the president’s efforts to help de-escalate tensions.”
The US Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security.
