China urges U.S., Philippines to withdraw Typhon missile system

BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday urged the United States and the Philippines to immediately withdraw the Typhon missile system and never deploy it again.

The U.S. mid-range missile system is "a strategic offensive weapon reminiscent of the Cold War" and should never have been deployed in this region, said Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference.

"Forcing its allies and partners onto the U.S. war chariot will only lead to tensions and confrontation, and undermine regional peace and stability. China firmly opposes this," Zhang said.

"We urge the U.S. and the Philippines to respect the aspirations of peoples in the region for peace and development, and do more for regional peace and stability," he said.