Japan-China Tensions Escalate Over Yonaguni Missile Deployment Amid Taiwan Row

Tensions between Japan and China have sharply escalated following Japan’s decision to deploy offensive weapons on Yonaguni Island, a strategic outpost near Taiwan. Beijing has called the move “extremely dangerous,” accusing Tokyo of deliberately stoking regional tensions and risking military confrontation.
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who visited the Yonaguni base on Sunday, defended the deployment, saying it “can help lower the chance of an armed attack on our country.” Japan plans to station a unit equipped with the Type-03 medium-range surface-to-air missile, capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles.
The standoff is intertwined with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently warned that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to take military action alongside the United States under the country’s 2015 security law. Beijing demanded Japan retract the statement, but Takaichi refused, insisting Japan seeks better relations while maintaining a firm stance on Taiwan.
In response, China has ramped up military exercises, including drills by the PLA Navy in the Eastern Theatre Command and continued maneuvers in the Yellow Sea. The diplomatic row has also seen China reinstate restrictions on Japanese seafood imports, issue a travel alert advising citizens to avoid Japan, and trigger widespread cancellations of Chinese tourist trips.
The United States has expressed strong support for Japan, reaffirming its “unshakable commitment” to the bilateral alliance amid rising regional tensions. Analysts warn that the dispute over Taiwan and the deployment of military assets on Yonaguni Island could continue to strain Sino-Japanese relations, with potential implications for security across the East China Sea.