Japan to Enhance Defense Capability to Counter Beijing

A local Japanese newspaper reported on Sunday that Japan is considering deploying long-range missiles to counter Communist China. 

 Recent geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) aggression towards Taiwan, are prompting Japan to upgrade its defenses. According to the report, Japan could deploy at least 1,000 cruise missiles with a range of 100 km in the Nansei islands close to North Korea and China. The plan is to fill the missile capacity gap with China and counter North Korea’s threats. However, Japan’s Foreign Ministry hasn’t commented on the report. 

 As a part of PLA’s military drills near Taiwan, at least five Chinese ballistic missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and Tokyo protested against Beijing in response to the incident. Japan’s Defense minister Nobuo Kishi stated that the missile tests by PLA presented “a serious problem that affects our national security and the safety of our citizens.” Kishi added that it was the first time Chinese missiles had landed in its EEZ. 

 Japan’s Prime minister Fumio Kishida has vowed to boost defense spending in the coming year. The media reported that Japan’s defense ministry would likely request 5.5 trillion yen ($40.2 billion) for the next fiscal year for the upgrade.