Japan has placed advanced long-range missiles in its southwestern region near China, according to its Defence Minister, as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
The missiles were installed in Kumamoto, located in the southern Kyushu region. This move is part of Japan’s broader effort to strengthen its military defences in response to China’s growing naval activities in the East China Sea.“
These standoff defence capabilities allow us to counter threats from enemy forces trying to invade our country, while keeping our own personnel safe,” said Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.He described the deployment as “an extremely important step” in boosting Japan’s ability to deter potential threats and respond effectively if needed.The surface-to-ship guided missile system has a range of about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles).
That puts parts of mainland China, including the major city of Shanghai — roughly 900 km away — within its striking distance.Koizumi also announced the deployment of a “hyper velocity gliding projectile” in Shizuoka Prefecture, a coastal area facing the Pacific Ocean and closer to Tokyo.
This weapon is designed to help defend Japan’s remote islands.For decades, Japan has maintained a strictly defensive military policy, using its forces only for self-defence. However, in recent years, Tokyo has been steadily increasing its defence capabilities as China, Russia, and North Korea ramp up their military activities in the region.In 2022, Japan approved plans to acquire missiles with counter-attack capabilities.
A defence white paper released last year warned that relying solely on ballistic missile defence would make it harder to deal with increasingly advanced missile threats.China has been rapidly modernising its military and is involved in several territorial disputes in the region, including with Japan over the Senkaku Islands called the Diaoyu Islands in China
Tensions between Japan and China have worsened further in recent months after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo might get involved militarily if China were to attack Taiwan. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control.