Beware of Asian War! Japan to Deploy Missiles to 'Gateway' of Taiwan
Beware of Asian War! Japan to Deploy Missiles to ‘Gateway’ of Taiwan
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Japanese government has announced plans to deploy missiles to its westernmost island, located near Taiwan, within the next five years. This strategic move comes amid rising tensions with China over regional security issues.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed that the surface-to-air missiles will be deployed to Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost point, by March 2031 at the latest. These missiles are capable of shooting down aircraft and ballistic missiles.
“It depends on the progress of facility preparation, but we are planning it for fiscal year 2030,” Koizumi told reporters, providing details of the deployment schedule for the first time, as quoted by the Guardian on Thursday (February 26, 2026).
The announcement by Koizumi comes amid a diplomatic impasse between Tokyo and Beijing. The dispute was triggered by a statement from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding security stability in the Taiwan Strait some time ago.
Takaichi told members of parliament last November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger the involvement of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF). This could happen if the conflict poses an existential threat to Japan’s sovereignty and security.
“Takaichi told members of parliament in November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could lead to the involvement of his country’s self-defense forces if the conflict poses an existential threat to Japan,” the statement said.
The statement, which Takaichi refused to retract, drew a sharp reaction from Beijing. The Chinese government then urged its citizens not to travel to Japan and imposed export restrictions on “dual-use” goods to Japanese companies.
China accused the companies of helping to accelerate Japan’s remilitarization process. So far, Beijing has not ruled out the use of military force to annex Taiwan, which it considers part of its province under the reunification policy.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has announced plans to strengthen defenses on remote western islands since 2022. This move marks a shift in Japan’s security focus from the threat of Russia in the north to monitoring Chinese military activity in the East China Sea.
Yonaguni Island, which is already home to an SDF facility, is only 100 kilometers from Taiwan. This geographical condition has raised concerns among local residents that their area could quickly be drawn into a military confrontation in the region.
Koizumi, who visited the island in November, said that his ministry would provide a detailed explanation to the 1,500 residents of Yonaguni next week regarding the planned deployment of new weapons.
“Koizumi, who visited the island in November, said the ministry would explain the deployment to the 1,500 residents of Yonaguni next week,” the ministry said.
In 2015, residents of Yonaguni voted in favor of hosting an SDF base by a margin of 632 votes in favor to 445 votes against. Currently, about 160 personnel are stationed to monitor Chinese naval movements 24 hours a day through a radar site on a mountaintop.
However, many local residents are beginning to worry that Yonaguni, known for its miniature ponies and hammerhead sharks, is slowly turning into a military fortress. The first SDF base was opened there in 2016, and according to the Kyodo news agency, there are plans to deploy an electronic warfare air defense unit in the next fiscal year.
In addition to the Taiwan issue, Tokyo and Beijing are also involved in a dispute over repeated intrusions by Chinese ships into Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands. The uninhabited islands are located about 150 kilometers from Yonaguni.
The Senkaku Islands are currently administered by Japan, but China claims the territory as its own under the name Diaoyu. This continues to add to the long list of sovereignty disputes between the two major economic powers in East Asia.
(tps/tps)