Beijing has blasted Japan’s missile deployment on an island only 110km (68 miles) away from Taiwan as “extremely dangerous”, saying it stokes regional tensions and military confrontation amid deteriorating ties between the two Asian powers.
But Shinjiro Koizumi, Tokyo’s defence minister, believed the deployment on Yonaguni Island would “reduce the likelihood of any armed attack on Japan itself”, a Japanese defence ministry readout stated on Sunday.
During an inspection visit to Yonaguni on Saturday, Koizumi said preparation for a medium-range, surface-to-air missile deployment was “progressing steadily”, according to the readout.
Yonaguni forms part of an archipelago that is only 110km from Taiwan – Japan’s closest point to the island. Located 2,000km from Tokyo, Yonaguni is home to about 1,700 local residents and hosts a Self-Defence Forces base.
Japan in recent years has increased its military deployment on Yonaguni, citing concerns about Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region.