Taiwan welcomes US missile deployment in Luzon

TAIPEI — Taiwan does not intend to provoke China into an armed invasion, but Taipei welcomes the deployment of missiles by the US in the northern Philippines, a top Taiwanese official said here this week.

Deputy Foreign Minister Chung-kwang Tien told The STAR on June 18 that new Taiwan President William Lai, tagged by Beijing as a separatist, has said his administration does not intend to provoke China. 

Tien said that as enunciated by Lai, Taiwan’s current policy is “we are not going to use provocative things, words or deeds to antagonize the other side.”

Last Monday, another Taiwanese foreign ministry official also said Lai has publicly softened his position from years ago in support of Taiwan independence.

Catherine Hsu, director general of the Department of International Information Services in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Lai’s “pragmatic” stance on Taiwan’s independence means “we don’t provoke.”

Last April, the US Army deployed Typhon missiles in Northern Luzon for the Salaknib joint military exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The US Army, in a statement, said: “In a historic first, the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force successfully deployed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines, on April 11, 2024, as part of Exercise Salaknib 24.”

“This landmark deployment marks a significant milestone for the new capability while enhancing interoperability, readiness and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” the statement declared.

The missile launcher can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 missiles.

It is unclear if there will be more missile deployments for future joint drills between the treaty allies, but the move was condemned by Beijing.

Hsu, when asked by foreign journalists about the possibility of armed conflict between Taiwan and China, said, “We don’t think war is inevitable. We don’t think war is unavoidable. We just want to prevent the worst from happening.”

Certain quarters saw the deployment as part of preparations for a Chinese invasion to retake Taiwan, which some US officials say could happen as early as 2027. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently