29-04-2025
Map Shows Reach of US Missiles on China's Doorstep
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The U.S. military has deployed a high-precision anti-ship missile launcher to a far-north Philippine province near Taiwan as part of the two allies' largest annual series of military drills, the Balikatan exercise.
China's Foreign Ministry lodged "serious representations" with Manila's ambassador to the country, Jimmy FlorCruz, on Monday over what it described as recent negative developments in Taiwan-related and security fields by the Philippine side.
Why It Matters
China has sharply criticized the drills and the first-ever deployment of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), saying the arrival of that and other "strategic and tactical weapons" destabilizes the region. China's Foreign Ministry last week also warned "those who play with fire" when it comes to the Taiwan issue, which Beijing considers a red line.
China remains angered by the continued presence of the U.S. Army's Mid-Range Capability (MRC), or Typhon missile launcher, which was deployed ahead of last year's Balikatan. Philippine officials had initially suggested the system would be removed in the months following the drills, before later indicating it could remain indefinitely.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, and U.S. Department of Defense with emailed requests for comment
What To Know
The Typhon system was sent to a northwestern coastal area facing Scarborough Shoal in January, according to a Philippine official cited by The Associated Press in a Sunday report.
That would put much of southeastern China's seaboard within reach of the Typhon's Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of roughly 1,000 miles. The MRC can also be equipped with Standard Missile-6 interceptors capable of striking targets up to 290 miles away.
The United States Marine Corps deploys the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System on Batan island in the Philippines Batanes province on April 26, 2025.
The United States Marine Corps deploys the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System on Batan island in the Philippines Batanes province on April 26, 2025.
/Armed Forces of the Philippines
The NMESIS system, with a surface-to-ship range of 125 miles, has been deployed to the Philippines' northernmost province of Batanes in the strategic Luzon Strait that lies between the Philippines and Taiwan.
The strait would be critical for U.S. and allied forces in the event of a conflict over Taiwan—the self-governed island Beijing has pledged to bring into the fold, through force if necessary. The NMESIS' range would be sufficient to threaten Chinese naval forces attempting to break through this chokepoint.
The U.S. has emphasized that the NMESIS will be used only in simulated, not live-fire, training during the ongoing drills.
China has pledged to eventually bring Taiwan into the fold. The People's Liberation Army' has ramped up it number of large-scale military exercises it stages around the island, in what U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Paparo has warned are "dress rehearsals for forced unification."
Following the latest series of drills earlier this month, Philippine Defense Secretary Romeo Brawner said his country must be prepared for a potential Taiwan invasion. "Because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved."
The Philippines remains locked in a territorial dispute with China, which claims most of the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippine maritime zone, despite a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that dismissed Beijing's claims.
The United States and the Philippines share a decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty, and in recent years, the Southeast Asian country has expanded the number of military bases accessible to U.S. forces.
What People Are Saying
Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military analyst, told state media outlet the Global Times last week: "By deploying two types of missile systems, the U.S. has established a comprehensive long-, medium-, and short-range strike network, with a maximum range of 1,800 kilometers, covering China's southeastern coastal areas, the Taiwan Straits, the Bashi Channel, and the northern South China Sea."
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) Sunday: "The NMESIS provides the combined and joint force a flexible and expedient sea denial capacity, contributing to the collective defense of both countries."
What's Next
China is likely to continue its objections to the presence of both the Typhon and NMESIS systems in the Philippines.
The Balikatan drills are scheduled to conclude on May 10.
