Tokyo’s Latest Missile Plan Could Thwart Chinese Invasion of Taiwan: Analysts

Stationing air defenses on a Japanese island just 68 miles from Taiwan highlights a shared security fate between the two democracies, an expert says.

Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, about 111 kilometers from Taiwan, is pictured in Yonaguni, Japan, on April 13, 2022. Japan’s southwestern islands lie close to Taiwan, and any conflict there could threaten Japan’s sea lanes, airspace, and U.S. bases on its territory. Carl Court/Getty Images

A Japanese planned missile deployment will deter Beijing’s activities in the region and buy the United States–Japan alliance crucial time to block a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, analysts say.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced on Feb. 24 that Japan plans to station the surface-to-air missiles at Yonaguni by March 2031.