China–U.S. Military Tensions

The United States and the Philippines are moving to expand deployments of advanced missile and unmanned systems to Philippine bases despite strong objections from China. Planned and existing systems — including Tomahawk‑armed Typhon launchers deployed to northern Luzon in April 2024 and an NMESIS anti‑ship launcher positioned on Batan Island facing the Bashi Channel in 2025 — put parts of southern China, PLA facilities and large areas of the South China Sea within strike range, prompting the Chinese embassy to call the moves "extremely dangerous" and warn of "resolute countermeasures" if U.S. actions cross Beijing’s Taiwan "red lines."