THE country 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.
Yesterday’s remarks come amid their worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month 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 toward disaster,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing yesterday.
Beijing “is determined and capable of safeguarding its national territorial sovereignty,” she added.
The comments followed Sunday’s remarks 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, an island about 110km off Taiwan’s east coast.
“The move is extremely dangerous and should raise serious concerns among nearby countries and the international community,” Mao said yesterday, especially in the context of 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 Taiwan.
In Taipei yesterday, 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 Sunday, 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.”
Meanwhile, Hong Kong leader John Lee said his government supported China’s diplomatic policy towards Japan and the financial hub would closely monitor the situation and respond appropriately.
“These extremely erroneous remarks have severely deteriorated the atmosphere for exchanges between China and Japan,” Lee said at a media briefing yesterday, marking the first time a Hong Kong official has publicly weighed in on a dispute.
“It makes us doubt the effectiveness of many exchanges,” he added.
Hong Kong had halted exchanges with Japan’s consulate, Japanese news agency Kyodo said on Sunday.
The city’s security bureau updated its travel advisory for Japan on Nov 15, urging residents visiting or living in Japan to be vigilant and pay attention to safety. — Reuters
