China warns U.S. against building arms facility in Philippines

China warns the U.S. against a potential arms facility in the Philippines, citing risks of regional instability and conflict.

China warned the United States on Thursday (March 26, 2026) against bringing “conflict and the chaos of war” to theAsia-Pacific after Washington and its allies said they would weigh building a weapons base in the Philippines.

A U.S.-led intergovernmental defence group agreed last week to assess funding for a new ammunition assembly and production line in the Philippines, according to a joint statement.

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The decision was made by the 16 members of the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), which also includes Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

China’s Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday (March 26, 2026) that a potential ammunition facility would destabilise the region and “backfire”.

“The U.S. and its allies should earnestly respect the common aspirations of regional countries... and refrain from introducing bloc confrontation, conflict and the chaos of war into the Asia-Pacific,” Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference.