(Adnkronos) – Medium-range surface-to-air missiles on an island ‘near’ Taiwan by March 2031. This is the goal announced by Japan. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced that the Land of the Rising Sun intends to proceed with the deployment on Yonaguni Island, in Okinawa Prefecture, about 110 kilometers east of Taiwan, by “fiscal year 2030,” which in Japan ends on March 31 of the following year. The Japan Times reports this.
The announcement comes amid diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing that erupted late last year, triggered by statements from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, a de facto independent island, but for which China wants “reunification,” without excluding the use of force.
“We are proceeding with the necessary activities, such as studies for improving facilities for troop deployment,” Koizumi said, according to the newspaper. “The timing for the deployment of the medium-range surface-to-air unit may change,” he specified, “but the current plan is for fiscal year 2030.” This is, the Japanese press highlights, part of the “response” to China’s growing “assertiveness” in the area.
