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US Typhon Missile to Stay in Philippines for Now, Top Security Official Says 

An aerial view of China occupied Subi Reef at Spratly Islands in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. (Reuters)
An aerial view of China occupied Subi Reef at Spratly Islands in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. (Reuters)
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US Typhon Missile to Stay in Philippines for Now, Top Security Official Says 

An aerial view of China occupied Subi Reef at Spratly Islands in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. (Reuters)
An aerial view of China occupied Subi Reef at Spratly Islands in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. (Reuters)

The US military's Typhon launchers which can fire multi-purpose missiles up to thousands of kilometers will stay in the Philippines for the time being, the national security adviser to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano told reporters the launchers will stay on Philippine shores "for now", a day after Reuters reported that the launchers were moved to a new location within the island of Luzon from the northern Laoag airfield.

The Philippine military separately said on Friday the deployment of the launchers with mid-range capability was in line with Washington's longstanding defense ties with the country.

"The primary objective of this deployment is to strengthen Philippine military readiness, improve our familiarization and interoperability with advanced weapon systems, and support regional security," armed forces spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla said in a statement.

The weapon's presence on Philippine territory drew sharp rebukes from China when it was first deployed in April 2024 during military exercises. Beijing accused the Philippines on Thursday of creating tension and confrontation in the region, urging it to "correct its wrong practices".

Treaty allies the United States and the Philippines "coordinate closely on all aspects of the MRC deployment, including its positioning", Padilla said.

The Typhon launchers can fire multi-purpose missiles up to thousands of kilometers such as Tomahawk cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets in both China and Russia from the Philippines. The SM-6 missiles it carries can strike air or sea targets more than 200 km (165 miles) away.

"These arrangements reflect shared operational considerations and mutual consultations between our two nations," Padilla said.

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US Top Diplomat Rubio, China’s Wang Speak in First Phone Call, China Says

Newly confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks next to his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio at the State Department in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
Newly confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks next to his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio at the State Department in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Top Diplomat Rubio, China’s Wang Speak in First Phone Call, China Says

Newly confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks next to his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio at the State Department in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
Newly confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks next to his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio at the State Department in Washington, US, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi by phone on Friday, China's foreign ministry said, the first call between the two top diplomats since President Donald Trump's administration took office on Monday.

The call is the first publicly disclosed contact between an official in the second Trump administration and a Chinese counterpart.

According to a Chinese foreign ministry readout of the call, the two discussed US-China relations and Taiwan.

Wang told Rubio, a known China hawk, "I hope you would conduct yourself well and play a constructive role in the future of the Chinese and American people and in world peace and stability," according to the readout.

In his Senate confirmation hearing last week Rubio labeled China as the gravest threat facing the United States.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the talks, which come days after Trump said on Wednesday he was considering a 10% duty on Chinese imports because of Beijing’s role in the fentanyl trade.

On Thursday, at a speech to the World Economic Forum, Trump said he was expecting to do "very well" and to get along with China, but his inner circle including Rubio have different views on how to deal with China.

Last week, Xi and Trump agreed on a phone call ahead of the latter's inauguration for a second term, to create a strategic communication channel on "major issues."

During his first term, Trump quickly struck up a relationship with Xi and both men lavishly hosted each other in Florida and Beijing. But that did not stop ties deteriorating into a trade war that unleashed a series of tit-for-tat tariffs and uprooted global supply chains.

According to China's Foreign Ministry, Wang told Rubio that heads of state and China had "pointed out the direction and established the tone for China-US relations."

"The teams of both sides should implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, maintain communication, manage differences, expand cooperation, promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations, and find the right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era."

Wang also said that China has "no intention of surpassing or replacing anyone, but we must defend our legitimate right to development."

On Taiwan, he said that the island Taiwan has been part of China's territory since ancient times and China would never allow it to be separated from China.

"The United States has made a solemn commitment to pursue the one-China policy in the three Sino-US joint communiques and must not break its promise," Wang said.

"A major power should behave like a major power, should assume its due international responsibilities, should maintain world peace, and should help all countries achieve common development," he added, echoing statements US officials have made about China.