 "Japan to deploy surface-to-air missiles on island near Taiwan by 2031 amid tensions with China")
Japan has announced plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles on an island near Taiwan by March 2031, potentially turning up the heat with China. This is the first time Japan has announced a timeline for the deployment of the weapons to Yonaguni Island since it was announced in 2022.
Yonaguni’s location is what might heighten tensions between Japan and China, as it lies just 110km away from Taiwan. On a clear day, the island can be seen from Taiwan’s shore.
For years, officials have feared that an assault on Taiwan, a close partner of the United States, could spark a head-on military confrontation between Washington and China, potentially drawing in other American allies in the region, including Japan.
About the deployment
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that the Yonaguni unit will have medium-range surface-to-air missiles able to intercept incoming aircraft and missiles.
The missiles will have a range of about 50km, and coupled with their 360-degree capability, the missile system can track up to 100 targets simultaneously and engage up to 12 at once.
Over the past 10 years, Japan has remade the once-quiet island of Yonaguni into a strategic military outpost. The site now conducts coastal surveillance operations and is manned by roughly 160 personnel from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
China-Japan feud
The development comes as a diplomatic row between China and Japan continues to simmer after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented on Taiwan, seen as an interference by China as it considers the island-nation part of its own territory.
China and Japan are key trading partners, but historical mistrust and friction over territorial rivalries and military spending often test those ties.
Takaichi, a conservative and China hawk, has toned down her rhetoric since assuming office last month.
Quick Reads
View AllTakaichi told parliament on November 7 last year that the use of force against the self-ruled island claimed by China could warrant a military response from Tokyo.
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