US Deploys Advanced Missile System to Philippines Amidst Growing Tensions with China: A Shift in Military Priorities and Budgets

Beijing, Beijing Municipality China
Beijing now has about 340 ships in its navy, while US has fewer than 300
China decreasing share of military budget spent on personnel and increasing it spent on equipment since 2010
China's military power buildup and enforcement of claims within 10-dash line causing concerns
First-ever deployment of MRC missile system to Indo-Pacific theater
SM-6 and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles can be fired from the Typhon system
US deploys Typhon missile system to Philippines for joint military exercises
US estimates China's annual defense budget at around $700 billion, almost equal to US 2024 defense budget
US Deploys Advanced Missile System to Philippines Amidst Growing Tensions with China: A Shift in Military Priorities and Budgets

In recent developments, the United States has taken a stand against China's increasing military aggression in the Asia-Pacific region. According to a report by CNN, the US Army's Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system, also known as the Typhon system, has been deployed to the Philippines for joint military exercises. This marks the first-ever deployment of the MRC missile system to the Indo-Pacific theater. The Typhon system can fire two types of missiles: The Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), with a range of 370 kilometers, and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, with a range of 1,600 kilometers. This move is seen as an apparent message to China amidst growing concerns over Beijing's rapid military power buildup and enforcement of claims within the 10-dash line which defines Chinese sovereign territory. Admiral John Aquilino, the outgoing head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, warned that China is moving very fast in its military power buildup and enforcement of claims.

In another development, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan revealed that U.S. government estimates put the Chinese annual defense budget at around $700 billion, a figure almost on par with the United States' 2024 defense budget of $886 billion. Sullivan is not the only prominent figure in Washington to suggest that China spends much more than anyone thought. Recently retired U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also indicated that China's spending on defense is far higher than previously believed.

Furthermore, a report by AOL News highlights that China has been steadily decreasing the share of its military budget spent on personnel and increasing it spent on equipment since 2010. Beijing's shift from a military that overspends on personnel to a military focused on modern weapons systems will require a change in Washington's strategic thinking. As China now has about 340 ships in its navy, while the U.S. has fewer than 300, this development is seen as an attempt by Beijing to challenge the US's naval dominance in the region.

In light of these developments, it is clear that tensions between China and the United States are escalating. The US continues to take measures to counteract China's aggressive actions and military buildup in the Asia-Pacific region, while Beijing remains steadfast in its claims and assertiveness.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Exact number of US ships in navy is not mentioned in the article
  • No confirmation on whether China has increased its naval presence in the region since the US deployment

Sources

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

US Commander Warns China Is Fast Becoming More Aggressive in Region

Bloomberg News Now Isabel Reynolds Tuesday, 23 April 2024 11:38
  • Unique Points
    • China is rapidly becoming more aggressive in its rhetoric and actions across Asia
    • Admiral John Aquilino warned that China is moving very fast in its military power buildup and enforcement of claims within the 10-dash line
    • Beijing increased narrative that all things inside the 10-dash line are Chinese sovereign territory
  • Accuracy
    • ]China is rapidly becoming more aggressive in its rhetoric and actions across Asia[
    • China is moving very fast in its military power buildup and enforcement of claims within the 10-dash line
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in the way it presents China's actions as 'aggressive', without providing any concrete evidence or linking to peer-reviewed studies. It also uses selective reporting by mentioning only certain aspects of China's actions while ignoring others that may not fit the narrative of Chinese aggression.
    • . The article claims China is 'rapidly becoming more aggressive in its rhetoric and actions across Asia', but it does not provide any specific examples or link to peer-reviewed studies to support this claim.
    • . The author quotes Admiral John Aquilino saying, 'The buildup of military power despite a bad economy, the increased narrative of all things inside the 10-dash line are Chinese sovereign territory, then the actions that are going toward enforcement.' This statement is misleading as it implies that China's claims to its territorial waters are solely based on aggressive actions and not on international law or historical precedent.
    • . The article selectively reports on certain aspects of China's actions while ignoring others. For instance, it mentions the 'increased narrative of all things inside the 10-dash line are Chinese sovereign territory', but it does not mention China's efforts to peacefully resolve disputes through diplomacy.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Don't be deceived by China spending less on defense | Opinion

AOL News J. William Tuesday, 23 April 2024 11:39
  • Unique Points
    • U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan revealed that Chinese annual defense budget is estimated to be around $700 billion.
    • Chinese military personnel earn about one-quarter of their U.S. counterparts’ salaries.
    • Price gap applies to other domestic inputs, resulting in a purchasing power of China’s overall defense budget being 60% higher than the dollar equivalent suggests.
    • China has been steadily decreasing the share of its military budget spent on personnel and increasing it spent on equipment since 2010.
    • Beijing’s shift from a military that overspends on personnel to a military focused on modern weapons systems will require a change in Washington’s strategic thinking.
    • China now has about 340 ships in its navy, while the U.S. has fewer than 300.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

84%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

US sends land-attack missile system to Philippines for exercises in apparent message to China

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Brad Lendon Monday, 22 April 2024 06:34
  • Unique Points
    • The US Army's Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system, also known as the Typhon system, has been deployed to the Philippines for joint military exercises.
    • This is the first-ever deployment of the MRC missile system to the Indo-Pacific theater.
    • The Typhon system can fire two types of missiles: The Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), with a range of 370 kilometers, and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, with a range of 1,600 kilometers.
    • China has accused the US of stoking military confrontation by deploying the missile system in the region.
    • The Typhon system’s mobility represents a problem for Chinese mission planners and provides important deterrent value.
  • Accuracy
    • ]The US Army's Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system, also known as the Typhon system, has been deployed to the Philippines for joint military exercises.[
  • Deception (50%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of the US sending a missile system to the Philippines as a message to China. The article also uses emotional manipulation by stating 'China has accused' and 'Beijing's strong opposition to', implying that China is being aggressive and opposing peace, while not providing any counterargument or context from China's perspective.
    • Beijing's strong opposition to
    • China has accused the United States of stoking military confrontation
    • It comes amid a series of US-Philippine military exercises, including the largest-ever edition of the annual bilateral Balikatan drills beginning Monday.
    • The Typhon system is capable of firing the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, a maneuverable cruise missile with a range of 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles)
    • We urge the US to earnestly respect other countries’ security concerns
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (95%)
    The author, Brad Lendon, expresses a clear bias against China throughout the article. He repeatedly mentions China's accusations and reactions to the US deployment of a missile system in the Philippines without providing any counter perspective from the US or Philippine governments. The author also uses language that depicts China as being aggressive and increasing risks of misjudgment and miscalculation, while portraying the US actions as necessary for defense and deterrence.
    • Beijing's strong opposition to the deployment
      • China has accused the United States of stoking military confrontation
        • The apparent diplomatic fallout comes as attendees from 29 countries, including the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, attend a two-day Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao on Sunday.
          • The current deployment of the Typhon was something that would not have even been an option for the US military until 2019.
            • Writing in the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance Blog, analyst Rupert Schulenberg noted that in 2016, when South Korea agreed to the deployment of a THAAD defensive missile system on the Korean Peninsula, Beijing responded with an unofficial economic boycott that cost South Korea’s economy $7.5 billion in 2017 alone.
            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication