Japan showing ‘obvious offensive characteristics’ with new Okinawa missile unit, says Chinese military newspaper
- A new Japanese regiment equipped with advanced anti-ship missiles was established in the strategically vital Ryukyu island chain last month
- The official PLA Daily newspaper criticised the moving saying Tokyo was ‘increasingly deviating’ from the principles of its pacifist constitution
The Japanese Self-Defence Forces last month upgraded its missile defences by setting up the 7th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment, the first on the main island of the Ryukyu chain.
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A commentary in the official military newspaper People’s Liberation Army Daily said the new regiment, which will supervise missile units already stationed in the island chain, would “further strengthen the defence and attack capabilities of Japan’s southwestern islands”.
It said this meant Japan “can block, or even attack rival ships entering and exiting various straits in the region, which demonstrates obvious offensive characteristics”.
It also warned that the regiment’s “combat capacity should not be underestimated”.
“[Tokyo’s] accelerated arms expansion is increasingly deviating from the principle of a ‘pacifist constitution’, bringing more uncertainty to regional and global security, and deserves higher awareness from neighbouring countries and the international community,” the commentary said.
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The waters near the Ryukyu Islands are often used by the Chinese navy, including its aircraft carrier groups, as a passage to the Western Pacific for drills.
The article said: “With the transfer of part of the US Marine Corps to Guam in recent years, the proportion of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces deployed in its southwest has shown a rapid increase.”
It went on to say that Japan was “actively changing” its defensive role and had “repeatedly advocated the use of the so-called ‘joint deterrent’”.
Beijing says Taiwan is its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Japan and most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.
The PLA Daily criticism follows similar statements last week from the Chinese defence ministry, which said Japan’s “continuous military breakthrough” showed “dangerous intentions” and the international community should be alert to these.
Japan has previously described China’s increasing military activity in the region as a “strategic challenge” and said the new missile regiment was designed to strengthen its “deterrence and response capabilities” in the Ryukyu Islands.
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Another PLA newspaper, China Defence News, also warned about Japan’s “strengthened southwest deployment” last Monday, saying the regiment’s troops on four islands would form a “missile strike network” controlling the southwestern waters of Japan.
According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the new regiment is expected to play “a central role in Japan’s defence of the southwestern region” and will be responsible for commanding nearby surface-to-ship missiles units on Miyakojima, Ishigakijima, and Amami Oshima, which are all part of the chain.
It will be equipped with Japan’s most advanced ship-to-surface missile, the truck-mounted Type-12. At a ceremony to mark the deployment of the first missiles on March 30, State Minister of Defence Makoto Oniki said Okinawa was an “extremely important” location for national security.
