Japan to deploy air defence system on island near Taiwan -

Camp Foster: Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced the deployment of an air defence system on the remote island of Yonaguni, 110 kilometres from Taiwan. Japan has said that this deployment is for the security of Japan’s Nansei Islands in this area. A few days ago, China’s aircraft carrier exercised targeting the Nansei Islands. This has been Japan’s response to the Chinese deployment.

A week ago, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning besides fleets of destroyers and submarines, organised a major exercise at some distance from Taiwan’s maritime limits. It was revealed that China had conducted the exercise targeting Japan’s Nansei Island, 300 kilometres from Taiwan. Nansei Island, administered by Japan, is part of the Okinawa archipelago. Therefore, this practice of China proves a challenge also for the US deployed in Okinawa, Japan, and Taiwan.

Instead of reacting to China’s war exercises, Japan announced deploying a surface-to-air air defence system directly on Yonaguni Island. The deployment will take place just 110 kilometres off the coast of Taiwan, said Takeshi Aoki, Japan’s Defense Ministry spokesman. Aoki explained that the deployment would complete next year.

Meanwhile, Hiroshige Seko, Secretary General of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, visited Taiwan on Wednesday. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen welcomed Seko and discussed increasing defence cooperation between Japan and Taiwan. She demanded that both countries unite against China, while China backfired on this visit of the Japanese leader. China expressed resentment that Japan was making serious moves in the Taiwan issue. China alleged that this meeting with the Japanese leader was provocative and that the Japanese leader was doing such activities for their political interests.

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