AFP urges China anew to stop aggressions amid call to pullout US missile
General Romeo Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP)
PHOTO FROM AFP FB PAGE
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) urged China anew to stop aggressions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The renewed call to de-escalate tensions in the region came amid calls from China for the Philippines to return the Typhon mid-range capability missile system that it acquired from the United States in time for the two nations’ war games in April 2024.
“The illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) in our maritime domain must stop immediately,” AFP chief of staff Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a statement.
“These reckless actions threaten regional stability and undermine both the sovereignty of the Philippines and the principles of a rules-based international order,” Brawner added.
Brawner’s statement echoes the sentiment of President Ferdinand Marcos in response to China, daring the Asian giant to de-escalate in exchange for the Philippines’ recalling the Typhon missile system.
The Chinese foreign ministry previously implored the Philippines to recall the Typhoon mid-range capability missile, following a report that its launchers had been deployed to a new location in the latter country.
READ: Marcos to China: Stop aggressive acts, I’ll return US missile system
For his part, Brawner said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will “continue to strengthen the country’s defense posture.”
“With support from President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.], the AFP continues to strengthen our defense posture, enhancing our self-reliant capabilities and deepening security partnerships with like-minded nations,” Brawner said in the statement.
“The AFP also remains in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and other maritime agencies in asserting our rights and safeguarding our national interests,” he added.
