Japan Voices Concern over China’s Missile Launch

Tokyo/Beijing, July 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Monday voiced concern over China’s missile launch toward the Pacific Ocean on the day. “We are concerned (over the missile launch) in light of security of our nation and the region,” the top Japanese government spokesman told a press conference. “We will fully engage in surveillance activities and closely monitor related developments.” The missile was not confirmed to have flown over Japan’s territory or its exclusive economic zone, he said, adding that there has been no information on damage to aircraft or ships. While avoiding commenting on China’s intentions behind the missile firing, Kihara said, “China’s military activities, including a lack of transparency, have become a matter of serious concern to Japan and the international community.” Kihara stopped short of mentioning whether a hotline between Japanese and Chinese defense authorities was used over the missile launch. “We will continue to communicate with Beijing and respond calmly and appropriately from the perspective of (protecting Japan’s) national interests,” he said. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, a strategic missile equipped with a dummy warhead was launched toward the Pacific from a nuclear-powered Chinese navy submarine at 12:01 p.m. Monday local time. The apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile “landed precisely within the designated waters” in the high seas, the navy said. The launch, which was “a routine arrangement” based on the navy’s annual exercise plans, “complies with international law and international practice,” and was “not directed at any specific country or target,” it said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference: “The whole process was safe, standard and professional. We hope relevant countries will not read too much into it.” According to the Japanese government, China’s maritime authorities Sunday notified the Japan Coast Guard of the designation of a temporary zone in waters south of Cape Shionomisaki in the town of Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, for possible falling space debris. Part of this zone overlapped the Japanese EEZ, prompting the coast guard to issue a navigation warning and the transport ministry to release related information for aircraft. China’s Ministry of National Defense informed the Japanese Embassy in Beijing about the missile launch plan on Monday morning. In response, the Japanese government conveyed to Beijing its serious concern over China’s increasing military activities and urged the country to cancel the launch that may jeopardize the safety of Japan. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration has expressed frustration at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last November regarding a possible contingency over Taiwan and the Takaichi government’s defense policy, including the effective removal of Japan’s arms export ban in April this year. The missile launch is widely viewed as a warning to Japan and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which is considering arms sales to Taiwan, regarded by China as a renegade province and therefore at the center of its core interests. It is the first time since 1982 for the Chinese military to publicly disclose an SLBM test launch, and it is the first announcement ever of a launch from a nuclear submarine, according the South China Morning Post, an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]