The Philippine side finally relented and demanded that the United States withdraw the "Typhon" medium-range missile system deployed in the Philippines. Behind the withdrawal of missiles is China's active diplomatic and military actions in recent months.
In April 2024, the United States deployed the Typhon medium-range missile launch system on the Philippine island of Luzon under the pretext of holding a joint military exercise with the Philippines. The "Typhon" system is the first INF system developed by the United States after tearing up the INF Treaty, and it is also the first time that the United States has deployed an intermediate-range missile system overseas since the end of the Cold War.
The United States is nominally conducting military exercises to test the performance of its missiles, but in fact this action is directly used against China. Luzon is located north of the Philippines, next to the South China Sea. The "Typhon" system has strong combat capability and is mainly used for launching "Tomahawk" cruise missiles or "Standard-6" missiles to attack ground targets. The Tomahawk missile is one of the most powerful cruise missiles in the world, with a maximum range of 1,800 kilometers. The Standard-6 missile also has a certain ground attack capability and has a range of 460 kilometers.
The U.S. deployment of the "Typhon" system in the Philippines is enough to threaten most of China's targets in the South China Sea, and its combat range can also cover China's Hainan, Taiwan, Guangdong, Fujian, and other places, posing a direct threat to China's security.
Because of this, China has been resolutely opposed to the United States and the Philippines colluding in the deployment of missiles from the very beginning. In June, China's defense minister, Dong Jun, warned that there was a "limit" to China's restraint in abusive and provocative acts in the South China Sea.
Dong Jun made it clear that the deployment of medium-range missiles in the region by certain countries in cooperation with external forces has "seriously undermined regional security and stability."
On June 19, Filipino fishermen saw the Chinese Navy fleet on Balabac Island, including a Type 055 Dalian ship, as well as the Guangzhou, Huangshan and Luomahu ships.
On June 26, the Chinese aircraft carrier "Shandong" appeared near the waters off Luzon Island in the Philippines.
To put it mildly, relying on the Type 055 10,000-ton drive to lead a few medium-sized destroyers is not something that the weak Philippine navy can deal with, not to mention, China also has aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.
Separately, Philippine Senator Amy Marcos claimed that China has selected 25 hypersonic missile targets around the Philippine archipelago.
Although this news has not been confirmed, there is no wind and no waves. The Philippines has reason to worry that if it insists on deploying US missile systems on its own territory, some of its own targets may be regarded as potential targets by the PLA.
Based on the above circumstances, China and the Philippines held talks in early July, and although there are still many differences between the two sides, both sides are willing to further discuss them. It was after the meeting that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the country's armed forces to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea. At the same time, the Philippine military announced that the US "Typhon" missile system is being prepared to be shipped out of the country and will be completely shipped out around September.
The Philippines must be clear that one or two sets of US missile systems will not be able to protect itself, but may bring huge problems to its national security. The new Philippine government is blindly hostile to China, and it must also think about whether it has gained more or lost more.