Japan, a key United States ally in Northeast Asia, is reportedly mulling deploying missiles on an island that can hit targets in China, as well as North Korea.
Newsweek has emailed both the Japanese and Chinese defense ministries for comment. North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Japan forms part of the first island chain with Taiwan and the Philippines under a U.S. defense concept that seeks to constrain military activities by Washington's adversaries, namely China, in the Western Pacific.
Japan has reportedly prepared for a possible emergency involving Taiwan, with China's threats toward the island a source of friction between Tokyo and Beijing. North Korea has threatened Japan by launching missiles toward waters near the country during tests.
In addition to acquiring military equipment from the U.S., Japan has been developing its own long-range weapons to enhance its standoff defense capabilities, aiming to eliminate enemy forces involved in any attack "at a distance and at an early stage."
What To Know
The deployment of upgraded, domestically developed Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles, which can attack targets on land as well, is expected to begin at the end of the next fiscal year in March 2026, Japan's Kyodo News reported on Sunday.
The missiles are set for deployment on the island of Kyushu, which faces the East China Sea to the west and the Korean Peninsula to the northwest. The Type 12 missile's range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) leaves China's coastline and North Korea vulnerable to attack from Kyushu, the report added.
Residents of Kyushu are concerned that they could become targets, but the outlying Ryukyu Islands, located to the southwest of Kyushu, are unlikely to host the missiles amid concern of tensions with China, the report cited government sources.
Yonaguni, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands and the westernmost island of Japan, is only 67 miles from the east coast of Taiwan. The heightened tensions between China and Taiwan have turned Yonaguni into a front-line island, causing great concern in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang on Friday urged Japan to be "cautious" in its military security actions to earn the trust of neighboring states. Japan invaded a number of Asian countries, including China, during World War II.
Zhang made the remarks during a news conference in response to Japan's development of a long-range ballistic missile that far exceeds the scope of Japan's defense-oriented policy, state-run newspaper China Daily reported
The ground-launched ballistic missile, officially known as the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile, is armed with a warhead that can travel at over five times the speed of sound and maneuver within the atmosphere. It is intended for use in defending Japan's islands.
What People Are Saying
Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said at a news conference on Friday: "In recent years, Japan has repeatedly breached the constraints of its pacifist constitution and has been moving further down the path of military expansion, which is dangerous and unpopular."
Japan's defense white paper 2024 said: "China has been rapidly building up military capabilities while intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, where the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands are, as well as in the Pacific. North Korea has been advancing its nuclear and missile development and pushing ahead with the launch of ballistic missiles and others."
What Happens Next
While Japan continues to develop its own standoff defense capabilities, it could host a U.S. Army unit that operates the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and the Mid-Range Capability missile systems to counter China, striking targets as far as 1,725 miles away.
Related Articles
Dodgers Superstar Ruled Out for Tokyo Series in Brutal Turn of Events
Dodgers Superstar Suddenly At Serious Risk of Missing Opening Series vs Cubs in Japan
How to Watch Dodgers vs Yomiuri Giants: Live Stream MLB Tokyo Series, TV Channel
Map Shows US and Chinese Aircraft Carriers in Pacific This Week
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 4:25 AM.