Manila and Washington, longstanding treaty allies, have deepened their defence cooperation since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea.
On Monday, China swiftly condemned the decision to acquire the system as a “provocative and dangerous move” and warned it risked triggering an “arms race”.
“It is an extremely irresponsible choice for the history of its own people and the people of Southeast Asia, as well as for regional security,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday.
“The region needs peace and prosperity, not missiles and confrontation,” she added, urging Manila to “correct its wrong practices as soon as possible”.
As a rule, it takes at least two or more years for the Philippine military to acquire a new weapons system from the planning stage, Galido said on Monday, adding it was not yet budgeted for 2025.
It took five years for Manila to take delivery of the BrahMos cruise missile last year, he added.
Source: CNA
