The United States has expressed strong support for the Philippines following concerns over China's recent ballistic missile test, which the US and Philippine officials argue undermines regional stability.

US Ambassador Lee Lipton emphasized the enduring US-Philippine alliance, calling it a 'tremendous and transparent source of regional peace and stability' for over seven decades.

He criticized China's 'provocative missile launch' as evidence of its secretive nuclear weapons development, which he claims contradicts efforts for arms control.

The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) also voiced alarm, describing the missile test as a 'reckless display of military power' that disregards smaller nations and fragile ecosystems.

Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong condemned the launch as a 'calculated act of taunting and provocation' against those opposing China's 'illegal expansionism.' The Philippines urged China to act responsibly and avoid turning shared seas into 'arenas of intimidation.

' Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Manila has not yet commented, though state media reported a People's Liberation Army Navy submarine launched a ballistic missile toward international waters.The incident highlights growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, with both nations navigating complex geopolitical dynamics.