Overview
- Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said plans to station a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit on Yonaguni are steadily advancing.
- China’s Foreign Ministry denounced the move as a deliberate provocation that stokes regional tensions and warned it will defend its sovereignty.
- Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister François Wu welcomed the step, citing Japan’s right as a sovereign nation to safeguard its security.
- Yonaguni sits roughly 110 kilometers east of Taiwan, and Japan has recently activated air defenses there after suspected drone sightings.
- The dispute follows earlier Chinese warnings of a "devastating" defeat if Japan intervenes over Taiwan, along with import bans, travel advisories, and Japanese diplomatic outreach to manage the rift.