Beijing — China has strongly criticised Japan’s plan to deploy medium-range surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni Island, located just 110 km (68 miles) from Taiwan, calling the move a “deliberate attempt to create regional tension and provoke military confrontation.
At a daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denounced the deployment as backing by “right-wing forces in Japan … leading Japan and the region toward disaster. She added that Beijing is “determined and capable of safeguarding its national territorial sovereignty.
Mao characterised the escalation as “extremely dangerous” and cautioned that it should raise serious concern from neighboring countries and the broader international community. Her comments come after remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested that a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi defended the missile deployment, saying it aims to strengthen defence of Yonaguni and could lower the risk of an armed attack on Japan itself.
Chinese media and analysts have also questioned the move from a historical perspective. Mao referenced the Potsdam Proclamation and Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution, arguing that Tokyo’s current trajectory reflects “a dangerous revisionism” of its defence policy.
Security experts in China warn that the deployment reflects a more confrontational Japanese posture toward the Taiwan Strait and could deepen regional instability.