Hotter, China Condemns Japan's Plan To Place Missiles Near Taiwan

Illustration of one of the lethal weapons in a war, ballistic missiles. (Wikimedia Commons-Dmitry Terekhov)

JAKARTA - China condemned Japan's decision to continue its missile deployment plan on Yonaguni Island, which is close to Taiwan.

China's Foreign Ministry said Japan's missile deployment was a deliberate attempt to create regional tensions and provoke military confrontation.

"In addition to the false statement of [Japan] Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan, this trend is very dangerous and requires high vigilance from neighboring countries and the international community," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning to reporters at a regular press conference, on Monday, November 24, quoted from AFP.

Yesterday, Japan's Minister of Defense (Menhan) Shinjiro Koizumi said plans to deploy missiles on Yonaguni Island, which is close to Taiwan, went according to yesterday's plan.

"This placement could reduce the possibility of armed attacks against Japan," Koizumi said, Sunday, November 23.

Since 2016, the remote island of Yonaguni has become a military base for Japanese soldiers. In its establishment, it was rejected by local residents.

Japan has previously announced plans to deploy Type 03 Medium Distance Surface-to-Aird Guided Missiles to defend the island from missile and aircraft attacks.

China-Japan relations are known to worsen this month, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's statement that Japan could intervene in the military in any attack on Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and threatens to use force to bring the self-ruled Taiwan under its control.