Tokyo – Japan will deploy missiles near Taiwan to counter growing Chinese military aggression in the East China Sea region and protect its interests. It is claimed that the deployment will be completed next year. Two weeks ago, the Chinese Communist Party threatened to launch an atomic bomb attack on Japan through a video. Against this backdrop, Japan is delivering a message to China by deploying missiles near Taiwan.
The deployment was announced by Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi to the media last week. Defence Minister Kishi said that Japan would deploy anti-aircraft and anti-destroyer missiles on the southeastern island groups of Japan. The missiles will be deployed on the island of Ishigaki, just 306 kilometres from Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. Both missile systems will be fully operational by 2022, the Japanese Defence Ministry said.
Five to six hundred Japanese Self-Defence Forces (SDF) personnel will be deployed with anti-aircraft and anti-destroyer systems. It is claimed that the movements for this deployment had started in 2017, during the tenure of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Ishigaki Island falls within the Senkaku archipelago of Japan. Therefore, despite its proximity to Taiwan, the deployment of Japanese missiles is said to be entirely within the framework of international regulations.
Japan’s missile systems are already deployed on the three islands of Amami-Oshima, Okinawa and Miyako island groups, even before deploying on Ishigaki Island. Patriot, the advanced air defence system, has been deployed here. Therefore, the possibility of another Patriot deployment on Ishigaki Island cannot be ruled out. In addition, the Japanese Defence Ministry plans to deploy an electronic warfare unit on Yanaguni Island by 2023. It is also claimed that Taiwan is considering setting up a military base on the island of Mageshima.
Japan is deploying all this in the face of growing Chinese military aggression in the East China Sea region. Over the past few months, Japan has consistently raised the issue of Taiwanese democracy and sovereignty. Ten days ago, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe criticised China in a tripartite meeting with Taiwan. Like Japan, the former Japanese Prime Minister has accused China of trying to crush the democracy in Taiwan.
Earlier, the Japanese Prime Minister, deputy prime minister, defence minister, and the deputy defence minister had targeted Chinese military aggression, saying stability in the Taiwanese region was essential for Japan and international security. Japan also called on the democratic countries to come together for Taiwanese security. But China, which claims Taiwan as its sovereign territory, had threatened Japan over the issue.
Chinese Communist Party has released a video on social media, threatening to launch an atomic bomb attack on Japan. The video was widely circulated on Chinese social media. Some analysts point out that if an atomic bomb is dropped on Japan, neighbouring China will also suffer the consequences and that China is only trying to exert pressure. Against this backdrop, Japan has responded to China by deploying missiles near Taiwan.
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