The rift between China and Japan has deepened further with Beijing calling out Tokyo’s plans to deploy missiles on an island close to Taiwan an “extremely dangerous” development.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Japan’s deployment of offensive weapons on Yonaguni Island is a deliberate move to stoke regional tensions and provoke military confrontation.
The reaction comes after Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited a military base at the Yonaguni island on Sunday and said the “the deployment can help lower the chance of an armed attack on our country”.
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The tensions between the two countries flared over Taiwan, which Beijing considers an inalienable part of its territory. China has not ruled out the possibility of forcibly taking Taiwan, leading to deterioration of ties with Japan, the lowest since 2023.
Why is China angry with Japan?
The recent tensions between the two countries escalated after Japan’s deployment of offensive weapons on its southwestern Yonaguni Island, which is close to the Taiwan region.
Tokyo’s plans to deploy a unit equipped with the Type-03 medium-range surface-to-air missile, which is capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles irked Beijing, which has called the move “extremely dangerous” and stoking military confrontation.
In its apparent response, China has ramped up military activities, including a drill by a PLA Navy unit, part of the Eastern Theatre Command. It has also continued an exercise in the Yellow Sea.
What stoked recent tensions between the countries?
The deployment of missiles and military exercises by the two sides comes amid a bitter spat between the two countries over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments of a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan.
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A month after coming to power, Takaichi remarked earlier this month that a military attack by China against Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which could also allow Tokyo to engage in military action alongside Washington.
The “survival-threatening situation” refers to the country’s 2015 security law, under which an armed attack on its allies poses an existential threat to Japan, according to BBC.
Beijing, in a letter to the United Nations, vowed to take resolute self-defense against Japan if it “dared to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait”.
Takaichi refused to retract her statement as demanded by Beijing, saying Japan’s stance had been “consistent” over Taiwan but insisted she wanted better relations with Beijing.
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In return, China announced a series of measures against Japan, including the re-disposition of its recently lifted suspension of seafood imports and a travel alert for Japan.
Apart from the diplomatic protests, China, the largest source of tourists to Japan with around 74 lakh trips this year, asked its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan. The move led to a spate of cancellations of Chinese tourists.
Meanwhile, the US has reaffirmed its strong support for Japan, declaring its “unshakable commitment” to the bilateral alliance.
(With inputs from agencies)
