Malacañang reaffirmed President Marcos’ conditions for removing the US Typhoon missile launchers, following a call from Chinese state-run media for the Philippines to withdraw the missile system to maintain regional peace.
In January, China urged Manila to pull out the missile launchers, calling the deployment irresponsible, but Marcos said he would comply if Beijing ceased its aggressive actions and territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.
On Wednesday, the People’s Daily reiterated the demand, suggesting that the Philippines promised the missile deployment was temporary.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro emphasized that Marcos’ stance remains unchanged, with the President insisting that China must halt its aggressive behavior for the missiles to be removed.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard detected a Chinese Coast Guard vessel in the West Philippine Sea, and both the Philippines and Malaysia reaffirmed their commitment to resolving South China Sea disputes diplomatically during recent defense talks.
Source: PhilNews24 | February 28, 2025
