ISTANBUL

China urged the Philippines on Thursday to remove “dangerous” US ballistic medium-range missiles from the southeast Asian nation because it is a “serious provocation.”

The Philippines should "pull out the Typhon medium-range ballistic missile at once as publicly pledged and demanded by countries across the region. No more delay for ending this wrong move,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

“It could drive up tension, geostrategic confrontation and arms race in this region,” he said. The region “wants peace and prosperity, not medium-range ballistic missile and confrontation,” added Lin.​​​​​​​

Manila is Washington’s oldest ally in the Asia-Pacific region and under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines has grown close to the US with expanded access to American military bases in the archipelago nation.

The Pentagon deployed the Typhon missile system to the Philippines early this year.

Beijing’s comments come as maritime tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated after Manila implemented two new laws targeting the disputed South China Sea.

Marcos Jr. signed into law last Friday the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

Beijing lodged a protest, summoned the Filipino ambassador and said the laws were a “violation” of Chinese territorial sovereignty. China also held the People’s Liberation Army’s military drills around Scarborough Shoal -- known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.

Manila said the laws aim to reinforce the entitlement and responsibility of the Philippines within its maritime zones which it refers to as the West Philippines Sea.

The Philippines and China have overlapping claims in the warm waters of the resource-rich vast water body.

Beijing and Manila claim sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal.

The China Coast Guard also held a law enforcement patrol earlier Thursday in territorial waters surrounding Huangyan island, “as part of its rights protection activities in accordance with the law.”​​​​​​​