JAKARTA, May 12 – The U.S. deployment of medium-range ballistic missiles in the Philippines seriously threatens national security in the region and undermines regional peace and stability, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong told reporters on Friday after the 30th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Responding to an inquiry from the media on the deployment, Sun said the U.S. action is reversing the course of history and runs counter to the common aspiration of the region for peace and development.
Sun said China firmly opposes the recurrence of Cold War-style confrontation in the region and the use of regional countries as tools of hegemony and proxies, adding that he expressed China’s grave concerns during the meeting in Jakarta.
“China supports ASEAN in strengthening its strategic independence and stands ready to work with regional countries to follow the path for Asia that ensures security through extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and firmly uphold regional peace and stability,” Sun said.
