A US missile system that could strike Beijing has been withdrawn from Japan, Japanese media reported on Monday, amid sharply escalating tensions triggered by the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan.
The Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile launcher system of the US Army, deployed to the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi prefecture since September for the US-Japan “Resolute Dragon 2025” joint exercise, was already removed, the Japanese Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday.
The news came as the diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo rapidly escalated over Sanae Takaichi’s comment that Japan could militarily intervene in a Taiwan Strait contingency.
The Typhon missile system is capable of launching Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and SM-6 air defence missiles with a range of up to 1,800km (1,118 miles) that could reach Beijing, Shanghai and many of the most populous provinces in eastern China if launched from Japan.
It was the first time the US installed the Mid-Range Capability in Japan, citing the need for testing rapid wartime transitions. China, as well as Russia, had protested the deployment to the Iwakuni base.
At the deployment, the Japanese Defence Ministry said it was temporary and the Typhon would be withdrawn within around a week after the exercise’s conclusion on September 25.
However, the missile system remained until at least November 10, when civic groups in Yamaguchi and neighbouring Hiroshima prefectures reportedly petitioned for its removal. The long delay had sparked concerns about whether the deployment would become permanent.
The ministry on Monday notified the local authorities that the removal was completed, according to local media reports, though the reason for the significant delay was still undisclosed.
The tension between Beijing and Japan has surged in the past week following Takaichi defining a Taiwan contingency involving the use of military force as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, which could allow Tokyo to engage in military action alongside US forces.
Slamming Takaichi’s remarks as “seriously damaging bilateral ties and challenging post-war international order”, Beijing issued a travel warning for Japan, cancelled a series of exchange events and lodged repeated diplomatic representations.
Additional retaliatory measures are expected, as Takaichi and her cabinet refused to retract the comment.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including Japan and the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Tokyo and Washington are both opposed to any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force.
Last week, when a journalist asked about Takaichi’s remarks and pointed out that China was not a friend of the US, President Donald Trump replied that “a lot of our allies are not friends either”, adding that many had “taken advantage of our trade more than China did”.
The US also deployed a Typhon system in northern Philippines during a joint exercise last year, which has since remained in place. From the installation position, the missile system could cover the Taiwan Strait as well as the South China Sea.
Seoul informed Tokyo earlier this month of its intention to cancel a search and rescue exercise between the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force and the South Korean Navy scheduled for this month, according to an NHK report on Monday that cited sources from both governments.
Seoul’s withdrawal is believed to be related to Tokyo’s cancellation of planned refuelling support for South Korean Air Force planes at a Japanese base, local media in Japan reported.
Tokyo cancelled the refuelling plan after it found Seoul had conducted training flights near the disputed islets lying halfway between the two countries, called Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima by Japan. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
