Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

As the Philippines escalates its actions that disturb the tranquility of the South China Sea, it seems the country is being pushed down a path that takes it further away from security. Ironically, the main "pusher" behind it is the very so-called security commitments that the US claims to make.

During an interview in Manila on Monday, US Major General Marcus Evans described the US deployment of the Typhon missile system to the northern Philippines earlier this year as "incredibly important." This midrange missile launcher, which arrived in Luzon Island as part of the US-Philippines joint drills in April, was supposed to return to the US in September, but now it's been reported that it will remain in the Southeast nation indefinitely.

From utilizing military exercise to introducing Typhon to maintain a presence in the Philippines, the development appears to be "smooth" and "natural." However, behind this "smoothness" and "naturalness" lies the US' step-by-step calculation of strategic deterrence against China that General Evans either intentionally or unintentionally overlooked when he described Typhon as "incredibly important." 

The so-called "boosting of deterrence" is still aimed at containing China. Some analysts have pointed out that with its capability to carry cruise missiles capable of striking Chinese targets, the Typhon missile system deployed in Luzon has become a crucial component of the medium-range missile encirclement that the US is attempting to establish in the Western Pacific to target China. 

A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times that the deployment of Typhon is actually aimed at luring the Philippines with the so-called security benefits. In recent years, Washington has gradually trapped Manila into a tighter alliance, from restoring the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries in 2021 to expanding the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2023, and enhancing the frequency and scale of joint military exercises. In particular, the US has been deploying weapons and equipment to the Philippines. Before Typhon, the US had already deployed long-range fires capabilities with the HIMARS rocket launcher in the Philippines in 2023.

Based on its "Indo-Pacific Strategy," the US continues to arm the Philippines and strengthen its defense ties solely out of its selfish desire to create a China containment network in the region. This could disturb the region, and drag the Asia-Pacific into the quagmire of an arms race. 

For the Philippines, this is not a favorable deal. By deepening its military cooperation with Washington and aligning itself with the US, Manila is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a balance between China and the US. In other words, it has lost the flexibility and capability to maneuver between great powers as it once could.

Through military cooperation and security commitments, the US has tightened the "mutual defense" rope tied to the Philippines, making it increasingly difficult for Manila to return to a neutral position. This not only risks a sharp deterioration in China-Philippines relations, but also greatly limits the Philippines' diplomatic autonomy.

Currently, Manila is highly dependent on the US for military resources and capabilities, which has led it to accept US priorities and strategic considerations on security issues. This has put the Philippines in a fragile position. After all, to safeguard and advance its own benefits, Washington is always ready to sacrifice the interests of its allies, which, in US' eyes, are merely disposable pawns. And the Philippines is no exception.

To a large extent, the "defense bundle-up" that the US provides to the Philippines is akin to a dose of an addictive drug - Washington is attempting to shape the Philippines into a highly US-dependent country by instilling the delusion that it can effectively confront China. The longer the nation indulges itself in this fantasy, the more harmful such dependence will become. If the Philippines wants to feel truly safe, it has to think twice about the close military cooperation with the US and treat the "anti-China" drug that the US has given it with rationality. At the same time, a proper "rehab" - returning to a balanced diplomacy between major powers - should be considered as a beneficial part of the "treatment" plan.