Japan deploys missile launch system on the easternmost island, Minami-Torishima, for the first time.

Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, June 29 (Reporters Liang Chen and Li Ziyue) - The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force announced on social media on the 28th that it has deployed the "Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile" launch system and other equipment to Minami-Torishima, one of the Ogasawara Islands in Tokyo. This marks the first time the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed surface-to-ship missile-related equipment to Minami-Torishima, the easternmost remote island.

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force stated that this deployment is to prepare for the construction of a shooting range on Minami-Torishima, with the main purpose of confirming whether the relevant equipment can perform normally in the local area. However, the missile bodies were not transported to the location this time.

According to a previous report by NHK, on the 8th of this month, the Japanese Ministry of Defense transported the Ground Self-Defense Force's "Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile" launch system and medium-sized unmanned reconnaissance aircraft for target reconnaissance and positioning from a port in Chiba Prefecture to Minami-Torishima via ferry, and plans to conduct live-fire training in the area starting in 2027. This development is believed to potentially escalate regional tensions, raising widespread concerns and criticism.