But Shinjiro Koizumi, Tokyo’s defence minister, believed the deployment on Yonaguni Island would “reduce the likelihood of any armed attack on Japan itself”, a Japanese defence ministry read-out stated on Sunday.
During an inspection visit on Yonaguni on Saturday, Koizumi said preparation for a medium-range, surface-to-air missile deployment was “progressing steadily”, according to the read-out.
Yonaguni forms part of an archipelago that is only 110km from Taiwan – Japan’s closest point to Taiwan. Located 2,000km from Tokyo, Yonaguni is home to about 1,700 local residents and hosts a Self-Defence Forces base.
Japan in recent years has increased its military deployment on Yonaguni, citing concerns about Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region.
