Editorial | Missiles should not harm improved ties
Japan is pondering missile deployment near the East China Sea. Hopefully, diplomats can find a way to allow the issue to take a back seat
Only a week ago, reports emerged that Japan is pondering deployment of long-range missiles near the East China Sea.
As foreign ministers from China and South Korea arrive in Tokyo for trilateral talks, it is hoped that host Japan can clear the air about a provocative step that could threaten a hard-earned thawing of relations.
The timing of the report about Japan’s defence plans is puzzling. This weekend’s trilateral talks, the first since 2023, have raised hopes for greater stability.
Seoul and Tokyo are both key allies of the US facing uncertainty at home and abroad at a time when Beijing’s rivalry with Washington is deepening.
The long-range missiles would be deployed starting late March next year on the southwestern island of Kyushu near the East China Sea, according to Japanese government sources cited by the Kyodo news agency.
The report said the move was being considered amid “growing fears” of conflict in the Taiwan Strait as a way to boost the security of the Nansei island chain.