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Asian Insider
Wary of China's intentions, Japan bolsters defences of south-west island chain
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Japan is building up its defences on its south-west islands, with an eye on the growing China threat that has also prompted its European security partners to more actively take part in joint drills.
Besides the Senkaku/Diaoyu islets in the East China Sea that are the subject of an acrimonious territorial dispute, Tokyo is also concerned about Taiwan, which is just 110km west of Japan's western-most inhabited point Yonaguni where a Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) unit has been deployed since 2016.
