**Visit to the Yonaguni Island SDF Base**
*110 km from Taiwan… Frontline in an emergency*
*”Improve facilities and conduct regular training”*
*Noticeable emphasis on military preparedness*
*China rejects Korea-China-Japan summit*
Amid growing tensions between China and Japan following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about exercising collective self-defense in the event of a Taiwan emergency, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the unit closest to China. This area is just 110 km from Taiwan and near the Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu Dao in China), where territorial disputes are ongoing, and is being evaluated as emphasizing military preparedness amid the rivalry between the two nations.
Northeast Asia trilateral relations have been affected by Sino-Japanese conflicts. With the Korea-China-Japan Cultural Ministers’ meeting, initially scheduled for the 24th, being canceled, it seems likely that the Korea-China-Japan summit, expected to be held in January next year, will also be withdrawn. On the 23rd, Japanese media such as Nikkei reported that Defense Minister Koizumi inspected the Ground Self-Defense Force garrison on Yonaguni Island, near Taiwan. The Self-Defense Force is strengthening its defense capabilities in this frontline area, targeting a potential Taiwan emergency.
From next year, Japan plans to station an “anti-air electronic warfare unit” on Yonaguni Island to disrupt enemy aircraft radar. This unit will support Air Self-Defense Force fighter operations by disabling the radar of enemy early warning aircraft. Unlike existing electronic warfare units, whose primary role has been to interfere with communications of naval and ground units, this new unit will target enemy aircraft radars to determine Air Self-Defense Force strategies, aimed at countering China’s accelerated maritime expansion.
Japan aims to deploy surface-to-air missile units on Yonaguni Island in the long term to protect the island from aircraft bombing, with plans to install the “03 medium-range surface-to-air missile.” The current furthest-west missile base is located on Ishigaki Island, east of Yonaguni, but there are plans to establish a new missile unit closer to China. Additionally, construction for a shelter on Yonaguni Island to accommodate around 200 people for up to two weeks in preparation for a Taiwan emergency will begin next year, with completion targeted for March 2028. Minister Koizumi emphasized at the site that strengthening Japan’s defense system, including the Nansei Islands, is a critical task, necessitating regular deployment of Self-Defense Forces, facility improvements, and joint U.S.-Japan training.
The focus is also on Minister Koizumi’s actions amid escalating Sino-Japanese tensions. Jiji Press assessed that China’s military pressure is expected to intensify following Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks on a Taiwan emergency, characterizing the Self-Defense Forces’ actions as actively showcasing their role externally.
In a tit-for-tat public opinion battle, both China and Japan have launched verbal attacks on each other. Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Fu Cong, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that Japan’s involvement in the cross-strait situation constitutes an act of aggression, warranting an exercise of the right to self-defense. Ambassador Fu’s remarks are interpreted as China’s warning of military response if Japan invokes collective self-defense over a Taiwan emergency. Conversely, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted claims of deteriorating security, which China used to issue a travel advisory, stating that statistics show a decline in crimes targeting Chinese nationals in Japan, such as murder and robbery.
Meanwhile, the Korea-China-Japan summit, which was under discussion for January next year, is expected to be canceled. As the chair country, Japan initially aimed to convene the summit by the end of the year but adjusted to January. However, Kyodo News reports that China conveyed, via diplomatic channels, that it cannot participate due to Prime Minister Takaichi’s inadequate response.
Japan intends to reschedule the Korea-China-Japan summit to occur early, even after February next year. The last such summit was held in May last year in Seoul.
[From Tokyo, Reporter Seung-hoon Lee]