China criticises Japan’s plan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan
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China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing “is determined and capable of safeguarding its national territorial sovereignty”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING - China has called Japan’s plan to deploy missiles on an island near Taiwan a deliberate attempt to “create regional tension and provoke military confrontation”, as a diplomatic dispute simmers between the two nations.
The remarks on Nov 24 came amid their worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo
“Right-wing forces in Japan are... leading Japan and the region towards disaster,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press briefing.
Beijing “is determined and capable of safeguarding its national territorial sovereignty”, she added.
The comments followed remarks on Nov 23 by Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi that plans were “steadily moving forward” to deploy a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit at a military base on Yonaguni
“The move is extremely dangerous and should raise serious concerns among nearby countries and the international community,” Ms Mao said on Nov 24, especially in the context of Ms Takaichi’s earlier remarks.
China had responded to her comments with vitriol in state media commentaries, bans on Japanese seafood, a halt in Japanese movie releases, and a warning to citizens not to visit Japan
In mid-November, its Defence Ministry warned Japan of a “crushing” military defeat if it used force to intervene over democratically governed Taiwan.
Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory, and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it, though the island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
In Taipei on Nov 24, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu told lawmakers that Japan, as a sovereign nation, had the right to take steps needed to protect the security of its territory, pointing out how close Yonaguni is to Taiwan.
“Japan’s strengthening of its relevant military facilities is basically helpful to maintaining security in the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
“So, of course, this is helpful to our national interests as Japan has no territorial designs or hostility towards Taiwan.”
On Nov 23, Mr Koizumi said the missile deployment aimed to protect Yonaguni, adding: “We believe that having this unit in place will actually lower the chances of an armed attack against our country.” REUTERS
