China Criticizes Japan’s Island Reinforcement

At a regular news conference in Beijing on March 31, China’s MOD spokesman, Senior Colonel, Yang Yujun pointed the finger at Japan for its reinforcement of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture.Yang stated that while it is usually Japan that criticizes China about the South China Sea, it is now Japan that is reinforcing territory that is only 100km from the Chinese territory of Taiwan.

Okinawa’s Ryukyu Shimpo reported on March 29th that 160 Japanese Self Defense Troops will be stationed on Yonaguni Island to operate the costal observation base consisting of a radar unit, and observation unit and a communications and intelligence unit.

The Q&A regarding this point is shown here. (For the ministry’s full post, please click the link below.)

Q: On 28th this month, the Defense Ministry of Japan deployed a coastal monitoring force on the Yonaguni Island. And right after that, on 29th, the New Security Law of Japan also took effect. Mr. spokesman, how would you comment on this series of actions by Japan?

A: You’ve raised a very good question. Actually, we indeed noticed that recently, the Japanese side had been very active in the military arena. We also noticed that Japan had loudly accused China of the so-called militarization on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. And it was quite delighted to do so. But today, let’s see what Japan did on the Yonaguni Island, which is just 100 kilometers and more from Taiwan of China and also the Diaoyu Islands. I also noticed that, according to media report, there were only two policemen and ten rounds of ammunition on the Island in the past.

But now, Japan suddenly deployed additional 150 self-defense force personnel and it also said that for the next step it would deploy a rapid reaction infantry regiment. So while the Japanese side constantly accused other side, how would it account for its own actions? Japan also liked to take “freedom of navigation” as an excuse to accuse other side. The South China Sea is very broad. If China’s deployment of necessary defense facilities on its islands and reefs is blamed for “undermining freedom of navigation”, what should Japan’s action be called when it strengthened military deployment around the narrow Yonaguni-Iriomote Channel, which is an international water channel connecting the East China Sea and the West Pacific?

 China MOD Press Conference (English)

Photo: China MOD

Story: Japan Ryukyu Shimpo