The content of this article is written with authoritative information combined with personal opinions, and the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
A few days ago, the news of the US deployment of the "Typhon" land-based medium-range missile launch system on Luzon Island in the Philippines has aroused widespread concern.
The U.S. military deployed new missile systems in the northern theater of operations on the Philippine island of Luzon
This is because this is the first time that the United States has deployed intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines since the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, and it is also the first time since the United States withdrew from the "Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty" that it has acknowledged the deployment of intermediate-range missiles.
Moreover, what is more important is that Luzon Island in the Philippines, where the "Typhon" medium-range missile launch system is located, is only 600 kilometers away from Chinese mainland, and the "Tomahawk" cruise missile carried by it has an effective range of 1,600 kilometers.
The effective range of the Typhon medium-range missile is 1600 km
What is even more despicable is that Western countries have tacitly remained silent about the United States' blatant deployment of intermediate-range missile systems in the Philippines and aggravated regional tensions, and only a few media outlets have expressed their "surprise" in a matter-of-fact manner.
You must know that when the Soviet Union deployed missiles in Cuba, the reaction of the Western world can be said to have affected the whole body, but now it is turning a blind eye to the medium-range missile system that the United States has placed at China's doorstep, which shows that this is not only the embodiment of the "double-standard behavior" of the Western countries, but also the sadness of the new round of confrontation in the international camp set off by the United States.
Naturally, China will not sit idly by as for the dangerous deployment of intermediate-range missiles by the United States in the Philippines, as stated by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong at the ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Consultation Meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 10.
Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong
Sun Weidong said that China has always firmly opposed any form of bloc confrontation, especially the use of regional countries as tools and proxies of bloc confrontation.
China is gravely concerned about the US deployment of intermediate-range missile systems in the Philippines and hopes that relevant countries will achieve strategic autonomy and work with neighboring countries to maintain regional peace and stability, instead of colluding with the US and reversing history.
Obviously, China is taking the opportunity of this meeting to express to ASEAN member states that China is now ASEAN's largest trading partner, and since the United States is using the Philippines to put pressure on China, it is necessary for other ASEAN members to react to this, which is a prerequisite for regional cooperation.
The 29th ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Consultation
Returning to the question itself, what exactly is the intention of the United States to deploy an intermediate-range missile system in the Philippines? How much of a threat does this "Typhon" missile launch system pose to China?
In fact, the reason why the United States deploys the intermediate-range missile system in the Philippines is that it wants to use the Philippines to contain China, so as to ensure that its position as the "world hegemon" is not threatened.
For a long time, the United States has practiced a "zero-sum game" concept for its own national security. The so-called "zero-sum game" refers to the fact that in a competitive state, one party benefits and the other party loses.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos meets with U.S. President Joe Biden
As far as the United States is concerned, it has long been thinking from the perspective of "world hegemon" and logically believes that if it wants to maintain its hegemonic status, then there cannot be a second "superpower", even if China is far away on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, but in today's trade globalization, the United States still has to ensure that China will not become a second "Soviet Union".
In order to achieve this goal, the United States has always provoked regional disputes for many years, such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the same regional conflicts that the United States has instigated for many years in order to drag Russia into the water.
As Russia has lost the ability to confront the United States head-on in the short term due to the impact of the war, the United States immediately regarded China as an "imaginary enemy" and began to deploy medium-range missiles in the Philippines.
"Typhon" missile system
The United States is selling this "Typhon" missile launch system to the Philippines in order to take advantage of the long-standing contradictions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea region to intensify the "anti-China" sentiment of the Philippine government, thereby helping the United States create tension in the South China Sea and then slow down the pace of China's development.
As far as the Philippine government is concerned, President Ferdinand Marcos is a veritable "pro-US and anti-China" faction, especially with the continuous quarrel between China and the Philippines over the Ren'ai Jiao issue in recent years, which has given the Philippine government a reason to play for the tiger.
In fact, the Philippine government, or why the Marcos family is pro-American, is not unrelated to its historical colonization by the United States, although after the independence of the Philippines, the United States was nominally still in power with the Philippine government, but its assets in the Philippines have increased unabated, and have penetrated into all walks of life in the Philippines.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr
Therefore, the Philippine government itself has no right to refuse the US deployment of intermediate-range missiles on the Philippine island of Luzon, and whether or not it wants to confront China head-on, it must follow the lead of the United States.
It is precisely for this reason that at this ASEAN meeting, China has repeatedly emphasized the importance of regional strategic autonomy, which is by no means simply kicking the ball to ASEAN member states, but in the increasingly complex international situation, the United States will inevitably infiltrate more ASEAN countries in order to restrain China, which is actually a preventive shot for other ASEAN member states.
asean
So, what is the deterrent power of the US "Typhon" medium-range missile system?
As a matter of fact, this "Typhon" medium-range missile system is not advanced, because it is equipped with an old antique -- the "Tomahawk" cruise missile; as we all know, although the "Tomahawk" became famous earlier, compared with many hypersonic missiles today, the "Tomahawk" cruise missile has no advantages at all.
The reason why the "Tomahawk" cruise missile became famous was because of its outstanding performance in the Gulf War, but at the time of the Gulf War, Iraq's air defense system was almost zero, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army's area denial/anti-access capability should not be underestimated.
In addition to the Philippines, the United States has also deployed missile systems in Japan and South Korea, especially Japan, which previously signed a contract with the United States for 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a delivery date of 2025.
Therefore, the deployment of the medium-range missile system by the United States in the Philippines this time can be described as having a far-reaching impact, and it represents that regional bloc confrontation is gradually taking shape under the impetus of the United States.
The United States and the Philippines held joint exercises
Although China vigorously opposes this kind of reversal of history, when the US missiles have been placed on China's doorstep, China has no choice but to take up arms, put on a posture, and counterattack at the right time.
Information sources:
2024-05-11 15:09Dawan News The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to the deployment of the US intermediate-range missile system in the Philippines: a serious reversal of history