Overview
- Beijing condemned Japan’s plan to station a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit on Yonaguni, with the Foreign Ministry calling the move extremely dangerous and escalatory.
- Japan’s defence minister said the deployment plans are moving forward and argued the unit would deter attacks rather than raise tensions, after visiting the island to brief local officials.
- China’s foreign minister earlier said Japan had crossed a red line with remarks linking a Taiwan contingency to a possible military response, and Beijing expanded economic and cultural curbs including a renewed seafood ban and travel warnings.
- China’s UN envoy warned that any Japanese armed intervention over Taiwan would constitute aggression, while Tokyo rejected the claim as entirely unacceptable and reiterated that it remains open to dialogue.
- Takaichi and China’s premier did not interact at the G20, Beijing demanded a retraction and urged Japan to show sincerity for talks, and Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister said Japan’s defensive steps near Yonaguni support stability in the strait.