Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. UPI=Yonhap News/Yonhap News Archive Photo. 

China and Japan, already at odds over remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, are now clashing over Japan's plans to deploy missiles near Taiwan.

At a regular press briefing on the 24th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded critically to a question about Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi's visit to Ishigaki and Yonaguni islands in Okinawa Prefecture on the 22nd-23rd and his mention of defense plans, including the deployment of medium-range missiles.

Mao stated, "Japan's deployment of offensive weapons in the southwestern islands around China's Taiwan is intentionally creating regional tension and provoking military confrontation. This, combined with Prime Minister Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan, is extremely dangerous and warrants vigilance from neighboring countries and the international community."

He added, "China will never permit the resurgence of Japanese militarism. China possesses the resolve and capability to defend its national territorial sovereignty."

Ishigaki Island, visited by Defense Minister Koizumi, is approximately 240 kilometers from Taiwan. Yonaguni Island, Japan's westernmost island, is only 110 kilometers from Taiwan. Both islands are closer to Taiwan than to Okinawa Island and host Self-Defense Force units.

Ishigaki Island serves as Japan's missile base closest to Taiwan. Yonaguni Island, where a Ground Self-Defense Force unit was established in 2016 with the "Taiwan contingency" such as a Chinese invasion in mind, will be augmented next year with an anti-aircraft electronic warfare unit to disrupt enemy aircraft radars.

According to Kyodo News, Defense Minister Koizumi met with residents on Yonaguni Island on the 23rd, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the Self-Defense Forces' defense capabilities and the Japan-U.S. alliance, and sought their understanding regarding the medium-range missile deployment plan.

Regarding the missile unit to be deployed on Yonaguni Island, he stated, "The assertion that this will escalate regional tensions is not valid."

NHK reported that at a press conference on the same day, Defense Minister Koizumi defended the deployment, stating, "These are defensive equipment to counter invading aircraft and missiles targeting our country."

He repeatedly emphasized, "We are not attacking other countries. It is clear that our intention is not to escalate regional tensions."

He added that Japan adheres to its policy of exclusively defense-oriented（專守防衛 - only exercising defense capabilities when attacked）and intends to pursue communication with Chinese authorities.

Although Japan explains that the purpose of strengthening its defense capabilities in the Okinawa region is solely defensive, some speculate that China is seeking to expand its conflict with Japan by linking the missile deployment to Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks about intervening in a Taiwan contingency, as spokesperson Mao did.

A social media account affiliated with China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, "New Tan Qin," posted on the same day, "We cannot help but say that Japan has taken another dangerous step. At a time when China-Japan relations are at their most sensitive, what is the intention behind Japan deploying offensive weapons on the island closest to China? Do not say that this is not aimed at China, or that it is to de-escalate the situation."

New Tan Qin argued, "Japan's deployment of offensive weapons in this region is intentionally creating regional tension and provoking military confrontation. Combined with Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan, it implies an armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait."

The Global Times, a state-run media outlet affiliated with the People's Daily, also commented on the same day, characterizing Japan's missile deployment as "summoning the long-dormant ghost of militarism." It emphasized, "All countries in the world, especially Asian neighbors, should jointly guard against the extreme danger of Japan's 'neo-militarism' toxic sprout."

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