The plan was defended at a press conference by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who explained that “this equipment is for defense purposes, not to attack other countries.”

He detailed that the national security strategy approved in 2022—under the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida—includes these interception systems, and the implementation of the plan is consistent with the self-defense policy adopted by his nation to date.

The chosen location for the deployment, for which a precise date has not yet been set, is the Nansei archipelago, Japan’s southernmost archipelago, which includes Yonaguni Island, located just over 100 kilometers off the coast of Taiwan.

China accuses Japan of intentionally creating tension since the beginning of this month, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that a potential attack on Taiwan by mainland China could force Tokyo to respond militarily.

Despite several protests from the Japanese government over the course of several weeks, the prime minister has refused to retract her statement; on the contrary, she confirmed to the press that her country’s position on Taiwan remained “unchanged.”

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