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Expert warned battlefield scenario as Manila envoy says missile system deployments in discussion with US

Global Times

By Wang Qi Published: Aug 15, 2025 08:00 PM

The US is discussing the possible deployment of additional missile launchers to the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against aggression in the South China Sea, the Philippine ambassador to the US claimed, according to media reports.

Chinese experts warned on Friday that the Philippines is attempting to provoke China on the South China Sea issue by further drawing the US into the dispute. They cautioned that allowing the US to deploy offensive weapons and equipment on Philippine soil would not only heighten regional tensions and intensify China-US friction, but also risk turning the Philippines into a potential battlefield.

According to Associated Press (AP), Philippine Ambassador to US Jose Manuel Romualdez claimed on Thursday that the possible deployment by the US of additional Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System or NMESIS missile launchers "was being discussed for consideration by both sides."

The anti-ship missile systems could be deployed along Philippine coastal areas facing the South China Sea and outlying regions to "beef up deterrence against aggression," he claimed.

No final decision has been reached by either side, according to the AP, citing the envoy.

The remarks by the Manila envoy came amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, with Philippines recently sent multiple Coast Guard ships, official vessels, and so-called fishing boats to intrude into the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Dao.

Video clips obtained by Global Times have shown that Philippine Coast Guard ship 4406 conducted highly dangerous maneuvers on Chinese law enforcement vessels near China's Huangyan on August 11.

"China demands that the Philippines immediately cease its provocative actions and statements, and reserves the right to take necessary countermeasures. And China will resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said on Friday.

On Wednesday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy expelled the USS Higgins destroyer illegally entered the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao, according to a spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command Navy.

Besides the discussions on NMESIS deployment in Philippines, the issue of deploying missile launchers Typhon has also been raised last month.

According to a report from the Phil Star, a US defense official said in July that the US would deploy its Typhon missile launchers in the Philippines if Manila agrees.

"If the Philippine government agrees to it, I would say the answer is yes,"... If they say no, thanks, then the answer will be no," the official said, according to the Phil Star report.

According to Chinese military expert Song Zhongping, the Philippine ambassador's remarks indicate that Manila is attempting to intimidate and threaten China by asserting its right to host US offensive weapons to be stationed in the country. This strategy, he said, aims to pressure China into making concessions on territorial sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, with emboldened support from Washington.

Deploying offensive weapons in the Philippines would not only heighten tensions in the South China Sea and further strain China-Philippines relations, but also risk escalating friction between China and the US, Song told the Global Times.

The US deployed the Typhon missile system in the northern Philippines in April 2024 as part of joint US-Philippines military drills. The Philippines pledged that the deployment would be "temporary," and that the system would be withdrawn after the exercises concluded.

During a press briefing on February 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Philippines had repeatedly reneged on its commitment and even plans to "procure" the system to boost its deterrence capabilities. It has also linked the South China Sea with the missile system in a move that is both "ridiculous and dangerous," Guo said.

Guo noted that the Typhon is a strategic, offensive weapon with a range covering most Southeast Asian nations, and the US deployment in the Philippines seriously undermines regional peace and stability while harming the legitimate security interests of other countries.

Following the Typhon missile system deployment, during the Balikatan exercises in April this year, the US also deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), in an effort to "strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," according to the US Indo-Pacific Command.

While the Philippines hopes to counter China by leveraging the US military presence, this approach could backfire, bringing significant risks, Song said. "By turning itself into a potential battlefield, the Philippines jeopardizes its national security and exposes itself to severe consequences."

The Philippines attempt to turn the South China Sea into a powder keg is also certain to face opposition from other countries in the region, the expert said.