• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

China calls on US to 'do the right thing': FM on deployment of 'Typhon' in military exercise

Global Times

By Li Yawei Published: Aug 29, 2025 10:31 PM

When asked to comment on reports that during the joint drills in Japan in September, the US military plans to deploy the Typhon medium-range missile system in Japan and conduct relevant exercises, and the system will be removed after the drills, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "we call upon the US to draw lessons from history and devote more effort and resources to doing the right thing rather than the other way around."

China has repeatedly expressed grave concerns on relevant issues. China always opposes the US deploying the Typhon Mid-Range Capability missile system in Asian countries, the spokesperson said. He added that the deployment of Typhon MRC missile system in Japan will further undermine the legitimate security interests of other countries and pose a substantive threat to regional strategic security.

Reuters reported on Thursday that a spokesperson for Japan's Ground Self Defense Force said the Typhon would be deployed to the US Marine Air Station Iwakuni, Japan's western prefecture of Yamaguchi, as a part of the Resolute Dragon exercise, which is set to run from September 11 to September 25.

It was unclear if the missile system would be fired as part of the exercise, but the spokesperson said the aim was to enhance deterrence, response capacity and integrated operations, according to the report.

The US and Japan should respect other countries' security concerns, refrain from the deployment of Typhon, and contribute to regional peace and stability with concrete actions, Guo said.

"We urge Japan to take a hard look at its history of aggression, follow the path of peaceful development, act prudently in military and security areas, and refrain from further losing the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community," Guo added.

The cruise missiles equipped with the Typhon missile system have a range of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers, and could reach even greater distances following range extension. Once deployed, it will disrupt the existing regional military balance and pose a certain level of threat to Southeast Asian countries, including China, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday.

However, Song said that as this missile system is a combined weapons system composed of two sets of older weaponry, it features relatively low speed and weak stealth capabilities. Its actual strike effectiveness is limited, and its overall combat capability is also relatively limited.

Previously on Thursday, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, also responded on this matter, saying that in recent years, Japan has repeatedly broken the constraints of its "Peace Constitution" and its commitment to "exclusive defense," moving further down the dangerous path of military buildup, causing growing concern that it may return to the path of militarism.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. At this important historical juncture, Japan should draw profound lessons from history and act with caution in the field of military security, Zhang said.

Song noted that the impact of this deployment and training lies in the long-term risks to Japan. The US intends to conduct preemptive strikes at the source by deploying such missiles, but in reality, this will turn the deployment locations into targets of attack.

If Japan allows the US to maintain long-term deployment, it will pose a major threat to Japan and even draw the country into a war, Song said.