Last spring, the United States initiated a discreet military expansion by placing long-range missile launchers within striking distance of China’s mainland, largely unnoticed by the American public.
This move marks a significant step in the U.S.’s evolving military partnership with the Philippines, located just across the South China Sea, as Washington intensifies its strategy against China, a nuclear-capable adversary.
There has been minimal public discourse about this deployment, which includes plans for a second Typhon missile system.
Experts and officials recognize that such a confrontational approach could lead to direct conflict between the U.S. and China.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a press conference in Manila, stated, “The United States has been fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Philippines since World War II.
Our partnership not only continues today, but we are doubling down on that partnership, and our ironclad alliance has never been stronger.”
However, Filipino activists express strong opposition to the U.S. military presence in their country.
Mong Palatino, secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, criticized the U.S. deployment, saying, “We are being used as a training ground, as an experiment ground for the U.S. missile system.
It endangers our population and undermines our security.
The lesson here is that we will not be able to be self-reliant as long as we are dependent on a former colonial master like the U.S. in protecting our sovereignty.”
Palatino further claimed that the U.S. and Philippine governments propagate misleading narratives regarding the threat posed by China to rationalize the U.S. military presence.
China has reacted strongly to the deployment of the missile systems, warning that such actions could lead to “self-inflicted destruction” for the Philippines and destabilize the already fragile regional environment.
Without explicitly naming the U.S., China’s recent national security white paper condemns the accumulation of “intermediate-range missile systems” and denounces a resurgence of a “Cold War mentality.”
Adding to the existing maritime tensions fueled by China’s claims over the South China Sea, the document cautions that missile deployments in the Philippines will heighten “regional tensions,” complicating the resolution of maritime disputes.
The Chinese defense ministry has noted a concerning pattern: “wherever U.S. weapons are deployed, the risk of war and conflicts will rise, and the local people will suffer undeserved suffering from war.”
It raises complex questions about sovereignty and regional security, particularly when most Americans are largely unaware of this expanding military posture or its potential implications.
There is a fear that the Philippines could be caught in a precarious situation, should U.S. support falter due to domestic political changes or economic factors.
The catastrophe in Ukraine serves as a cautionary narrative; after years of conflict, Ukraine’s negotiating position appears weaker post-invasion than prior.
The South China Sea situation bears similarities, as U.S. policies seem to actively endorse increasingly aggressive stances by regional allies without fully grasping the potential consequences.
Amid these developments, public debate remains scarce.
The Typhon missile system can launch missiles over 1,200 miles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, and was first deployed in the Philippines during annual joint military drills with U.S. and Filipino forces last year.
The U.S. has maintained a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines since 1951 and has since expanded its military footprint by adding new bases and investing $82 million in infrastructure developments at these sites.
In addition to this, a new ammunition manufacturing hub is in the works near Subic Bay, site of the previous largest U.S. naval base in Asia, funded by the U.S. government.
The expansion of military cooperation has accelerated under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., reflective of a renewed commitment to historical ties with the U.S. following a previous period of distancing under Rodrigo Duterte.
During a meeting with Marcos, President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “They’re a very important nation militarily, and we’ve had some great drills lately.
We’re back with them.
The previous administration was not getting along with them too well.
And Pete, I would say that you couldn’t be happier, right, with the relationship?”
Despite the U.S. military presence being resisted by a significant portion of Filipino society, the current political climate appears to favor a strengthened alliance.
Numerous activists from various sectors—fisherfolk, environmentalists, and labor leaders—have voiced their concerns against escalating U.S. military operations.
In 2023, the Philippine Army hosted a military exercise involving 18,000 troops from the U.S., Philippines, and Australia near the South China Sea, inciting protests outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila, highlighting worries that the nation would suffer most should tensions escalate between the U.S. and China.
Historically, the U.S. military presence in the Philippines has faced public opposition, with significant movements achieving the expulsion of American bases in the 1990s.
This eviction came on the heels of years under a U.S.-supported dictatorship, and now under the Marcos administration, the strengthening of U.S. alliances resurfaces even as authoritarianism tightens its hold on Filipino governance.
As Washington potentially turns the Philippines into a frontline in the U.S.-China rivalry, activists are urging a deeper examination of the historical context surrounding American military presence—rooted in invasion, colonization, and the vast loss of Filipino lives during the imperial conquest.
Activists stress the urgency of resolving maritime disputes with China diplomatically rather than allowing the Philippines to be utilized as a military stronghold by the U.S.
“Of course, we have a maritime dispute with China,” Palatino stated.
“But that maritime dispute should not be used as a justification to allow a country like the U.S. to use the Philippines as its forward military base.
We should resolve our maritime dispute with China diplomatically and peacefully.”
image source from：theintercept
