MANILA, Philippines — United States Ambassador to Manila Lee Lipton said the US shares the concerns of the Philippines about China's ballistic missile launch into Pacific ocean.
Lipton on Tuesday said the US remains "committed to our oldest security ally in the region."
"The ironclad USq-Philippine alliance has been a tremendous and transparent source of regional peace and stability for over seven decades," Lipton wrote on X.
"Beijing's provocative missile launch yesterday is further evidence of its rapid and secretive nuclear weapons development program, which runs counter to regional stability and is inconsistent with the pursuit of meaningful arms control discussions," he said.
The US Department of State said it monitored China’s test launch from a submarine of an unarmed intercontinental-range ballistic missile, which landed in the southern Pacific Ocean.
"At a time when the United States is working harder than ever to prevent nuclear proliferation, China is doing the opposite," State Department spokesmanThomas Pigott said.
"Beijing’s rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern to the region and the world," Pigott said in a statement.
He added, "We continue to urge China to engage in meaningful arms control discussions and commit to a regularized notification arrangement for all intercontinental-range ballistic missile and space launches consistent with commitments made by all other P5 members."
"The United States remains steadfast in our defense commitments to our allies and partners," Pigott added.
The US Embassy in Manila shared Pigott's statement.