China issued a sharp rebuke on Monday against Japan’s advancing plans to deploy missiles on Yonaguni Island, a remote outpost just 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of Taiwan.
The dispute, already simmering for weeks, erupted anew after Japanese media reported that Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, during his first visit to the Yonaguni base, affirmed the deployment of Type 03 medium-range surface-to-air missiles was proceeding “steadily” as part of Tokyo’s broader fortification of its southwestern islands.
These weapons, designed to counter incoming aircraft and air-to-ground threats, underscore Japan’s deepening concerns over China’s military expansion in the East China Sea and potential contingencies around Taiwan.
“The deployment can reduce the possibility of an armed attack on Japan,” Koizumi said, dismissing criticisms that the move would inflame regional instability.
Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island and a popular scuba-diving spot, has hosted a Ground Self-Defense Force camp since 2016, despite early local protests.
The base already features surveillance radars and electronic warfare units, positioning it as a frontline sentinel in any Taiwan Strait crisis.
At a routine briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning lambasted the initiative as a “deliberate attempt to create regional tension and provoke military confrontation.”
She linked it directly to provocative statements by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the conservative nationalist who assumed office last month and has long advocated for a harder line against China’s regional assertiveness.
“Coupled with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan, this trend is extremely dangerous and warrants high vigilance from neighbouring countries and the international community,” Mao told reporters.
Takaichi’s comments on November 7 — suggesting that a Chinese assault on Taiwan, involving “battleships and the use of force,” could qualify as an “existential threat” under Japan’s pacifist constitution, potentially justifying Self-Defense Forces intervention — have ignited Beijing’s fury.
China views such rhetoric as a violation of the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique, where Tokyo acknowledged Beijing’s stance on Taiwan.
The spat has escalated rapidly: China summoned Japan’s ambassador, demanding a retraction that Tokyo refused, insisting Takaichi’s words align with longstanding policy.
In retaliation, a Chinese diplomat in Osaka posted — then deleted — a threat to “cut off that dirty neck,” apparently aimed at Takaichi, prompting Japan to summon Beijing’s envoy.
Beijing has also postponed cultural exchanges, suspended talks on Japanese beef imports, and warned of “crushing” consequences if Japan intervenes militarily.
Takaichi, a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe and a frequent visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japan’s war dead, has rebuffed calls to walk back her stance, framing it as a defense of Japan’s security amid China’s “unprecedented” military buildup.
Yet critics at home, including scholars, warn her words risk dragging Japan into an unwanted war, negating its post-World War II pacifism.
From Taipei, the response was more measured but supportive. Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung told lawmakers that bolstering Yonaguni’s defenses “helps maintain security in the Taiwan Strait,” emphasizing Japan’s sovereign right to protect its territory without posing threats elsewhere.
“Japan is a sovereign country and it has the right to do everything necessary to protect the security of its own territory, as long as such actions do not threaten other countries,” Wu said. “We believe this is helpful to our national interests, because Japan essentially has no territorial claims or hostility towards Taiwan.”
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, speaking separately, urged Beijing to “show restraint, act like a major power, and not become the troublemaker” in the Asia-Pacific, where “peace and stability have been severely impacted.” He called for China to recommit to a “rules-based international order” to foster regional prosperity.
Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party government has deepened defense ties with Tokyo and Washington, including joint exercises, viewing Japan as a bulwark against Beijing’s gray-zone tactics, such as frequent air incursions.
The feud’s tentacles have extended to the economy, hammering Japan’s vital tourism sector. China, the top source of inbound visitors, sent nearly 7.5 million travelers in the first nine months of 2025 — nearly 30% of all foreign arrivals — who splurged over $1 billion monthly on shopping and experiences, fueled by a depreciating yen.
Japan ranked fourth among Chinese outbound destinations last year, boosting records for Fuji hikes, sushi feasts, and geisha encounters. Beijing’s travel advisory, urging citizens to avoid Japan due to “personal safety risks,” has triggered a market rout.
Analysts like Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics caution that the spat could balloon into a 2010s-style trade war, with Beijing curbing rare-earth exports or Japanese autos — already reeling from Chinese EV dominance.
With Taiwan just 100 kilometers from Yonaguni, experts fear offhand remarks could escalate into an irreversible confrontation. For now, Tokyo’s missile gambit — sold as deterrence — has Beijing crying provocation, leaving the strait a tinderbox and investors bracing for fallout.
With Agence France-Presse Inputs
