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China condemns US firing of Tomahawk missile during military exercise in Philippines
Progressive organisations also denounced the missile firing, noting that the projectile impacted an area mere five kilometers from a civilian community in Nueva Ecija province
- PUBLISHED: Thu 7 May 2026, 12:41 PM
China condemned the recent firing of a Tomahawk cruise missile in the Philippines as part of an ongoing military exercise, describing the incident as "extremely irresponsible."
In a quick reaction to the firing of the projectile from a US Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) system, Beijing said the move may potentially spark an arms race and risks regional security.
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China said both the US and the Philippines are "playing with fire," singling out the Philippines is relying on external forces for maritime disputes and will only worsen regional tensions.
Various nationalist Philippine organisations also denounced the missile firing, noting that the projectile impacted an area mere five kilometers from a civilian community in Nueva Ecija province. Fisher folk groups likewise condemned the prohibition of fishing activities in areas where the US-Philippines war games are being held.
The US military fired the Tomahawk missile on midnight of Tuesday from a civilian airport in Tacloban City in Central Philippines to a target in Luzon island, roughly 630 kilometers away.
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US-Philippines Balikatan 2026 war games spokesperson Col. Dennis Hernandez confirmed the launch, a first on Philippine soil. Hernandez said Filipino troops participated in the event and was a highlight in the ongoing war games, the biggest bilateral military exercise between the North American superpower and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Beijing had consistently accused the US and the Philippines of designing their joint military exercises against China over its claims of 90 per cent of the South China Sea.
The Philippines, on the other hand, claims China is the aggressor as it built military installations and conducts military operations against Filipino fishermen in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Endangering civilians
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan president Renato Reyes Jr. demanded explanations why the missile was launched in a civilian facility and without warning to nearby communities at the launch and impact sites.
Former legislator Carlos Zarate, meanwhile, dubbed the activity as an operational rehearsal that turns the Philippines into a platform for war among competing powers.
“The Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration is making the country (Philippines) a willing pawn, allowing foreign forces to bring in strategic weapons that heighten the risk of escalation and retaliation,” Zarate said.
“By allowing these activities to normalise, the Marcos Jr. government is dragging the country toward a war posture that violates the spirit of our Constitution’s renunciation of war. Filipinos should not be made collateral damage in the geopolitical games of big powers,” Zarate said.