China on BrahMos Missiles: China’s military responded cautiously on Thursday to India’s delivery of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, stating that security cooperation between the two nations shouldn’t jeopardize regional stability or the interests of any other party.
More than two years after concluding a USD 375 million agreement with the Philippines to sell the military systems, India delivered the first batch of BrahMos missiles. When pressed about India’s BrahMos missile delivery to the Philippines, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Sr. Co. Wu Qian said, “China always believes that defence and security cooperation between countries should not harm the interests of any third party and should not harm regional peace and stability.”
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Concurrently, Wu expressed his severe disapproval of the United States for placing medium-range ballistic missiles in the Philippines this month, amidst the intensifying tensions between China and the Philippines over their South China Sea conflict.
CNN stated that a series of US-Philippine military exercises, including the largest-ever version of the annual bilateral Balikatan drills starting early this week, are taking place in conjunction with the deployment of the MRC missile system, also known as the Typhon system, to the Indo-Pacific theatre.
The mid-range missiles with a range of 1,600 kilometres are stationed in northern Luzon, Philippines. They could reach China’s coast. China strongly disagrees with the US putting medium-range ballistic weapons in the Asia-Pacific area. Our position is clear and won’t change. Wu said that the US move puts the security of the member states and the peace and stability of the region at great risk.
He expressed his desire that the relevant nation would not allow the devil to enter its borders, as doing so would only cause harm to everyone, including itself.
On April 19, an Indian Air Force cargo plane from India delivered the BrahMos missiles and launchers to the Philippines. As per the agreement from January 2022, India will provide three missile batteries along with their launchers and other equipment. It was India’s first time exporting the BrahMos missile.
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As per Economic Times, amidst growing worldwide concerns about China’s escalating military aggression in the South China Sea, India has been considering deepening defence ties with the Philippines. China has a claim to most of the South China Sea. Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have rebuttals.
As Manila was engaged in a fierce naval confrontation with the Chinese navy in the South China Sea, the US and Indian ships began delivering missiles to the Philippines. With US support, the Philippines is attempting to press its claims to the South China Sea, citing a 2016 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) tribunal decision that upheld its rights. China disapproved of the tribunal’s conclusions despite boycotting the proceedings.
