The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday slammed Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. over his supposed ”unjust accusation” regarding the opposition of Beijing to the deployment of the United States Typhon missile system in the Philippines.
”We firmly oppose and strongly condemn such statement which is nothing but unjust accusation filled with ideological bias and based on bloc confrontation and the Cold War mentality,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement.
To recall, Beijing has expressed its opposition after Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Roy Galido said the military plans to acquire the US Typhon missile system to protect the country’s maritime interests.
Teodoro then underscored that “the deployment of US mid-range missile assets to the Philippines in the context of joint exercises are completely legitimate, legal, and beyond reproach.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila pointed out that this was not the first time that Teodoro made ”unprofessional and ludicrous remarks.”
”In addition to habitually attacking and smearing China and its ruling party, he personally impedes and obstructs mil-to-mil contacts and exchanges between China and the Philippines,” the embassy said.
”We cannot help but wonder why and for whom he has been saying and doing in such an unconstructive way,” it added.
GMA News Online asked the Palace and the Department of National Defense for comment on the matter, but they have yet to reply as of posting time.
Aggressive actions
Teodoro had said the Chinese government should stop its aggressive actions if it wants to reduce the tension in the region. He also called out China for its development of nuclear arsenal and ballistic missile capability as well as its supposed support for syndicates and human rights violations.
“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’ internal affairs, withdraw their illegal presence from the Philippines’ EEZ, and adhere to International Law,” Teodoro had said.
The embassy further underscored that China’s position as regards the matter is consistent and clear, noting that one part of the world needs peace and prosperity and not the Mid-Range Capability missile system.
”Once again we remind the Philippines to heed the call of regional countries and their peoples, and have the Typhon missile system promptly pulled out as it has publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path.
Typhon, also known as the Strategic Mid-range Fires System (SMRF), is a United States Army transporter erector launcher that can fire Standard SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles.
—VAL, GMA Integrated News
