Japan transports missile launch devices to Nanbird Island, military experts: serious threat to regional security

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] On the 8th, the Japanese Ministry of Defense began transporting missile launchers and other equipment to Minami-Torishima, one of the Ogasawara Islands in Tokyo, in preparation for the construction of a local missile firing range and future live-fire training. Japanese media reported that this is the first time Japan has deployed Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) anti-ship missiles to Minami-Torishima, the easternmost remote island. This development is believed to potentially escalate regional tensions, raising widespread concerns and criticisms.

According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, on the morning of the 8th, the Japanese Ministry of Defense transported GSDF "Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile" launchers and medium-sized unmanned reconnaissance aircraft for target reconnaissance and positioning from a port in Chiba Prefecture to Minami-Torishima via ferry. Previous reports from Japanese media indicated that Japan plans to build a firing range for weapons such as the "Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile" on Minami-Torishima and intends to conduct live-fire training there starting in 2027.

Minami-Torishima is located about 2,000 kilometers southeast of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean and currently serves as a base for the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard. Military expert Zhang Junsha stated on the 9th to the Global Times that Japan's deployment of the "Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile" on Minami-Torishima poses a serious threat to regional security. It is reported that the range of the improved version of Japan's "Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile" has been increased to 1,000 kilometers, with plans to expand it to 1,500 kilometers in the future. The deployment of this type of missile on Minami-Torishima marks Japan's establishment of a forward base for long-range strikes, posing a serious threat to foreign vessels navigating in the West Pacific, especially in waters near the "Second Island Chain," and could even enable preemptive military strikes.

Zhang Junsha further explained that Japan has deployed seven anti-ship missile units from Hokkaido to the Ryukyu Islands, forming a long-range strike network in the West Pacific with the long-range missiles on Minami-Torishima, significantly enhancing Japan's long-range strike capabilities. Zhang believes that this deployment goes far beyond the scope of defense and constitutes offensive military expansion, violating international legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, as well as the provisions of Japan's pacifist constitution.

On March 31, the Japanese Ministry of Defense deployed long-range missiles with "capabilities to attack enemy bases" in Kumamoto and Shizuoka Prefectures. In response, citizens in various parts of Japan held rallies to protest the government's forcible deployment of long-range missiles. On April 1, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed serious concerns regarding Japan's actions at a regular press conference. Mao stated that Japan, under the guise of defense and counterattack, is deploying offensive weapons that far exceed the scope of self-defense and strictly defensive measures. This again reflects that Japanese right-wing forces are pushing security policies towards an offensive and expansionist direction. Mao emphasized that Japan's "new militarism" is threatening regional peace and stability, and the international community should remain highly vigilant about this. (Guo Yuandan)