Japanese authorities are to deploy missiles with a range of up to 1,000km on the island of Kyushu before the end of this year, Japanese media reported yesterday.
The medium-range missile systems would be capable of striking enemy vessels in the Taiwan Strait, and bases in China and North Korea, enhancing Japan’s defense capabilities and serving to protect Taiwan from a potential Chinese military attack, Kyodo News reported.
Deployment of the land-based anti-ship missile systems would begin by the end of this year, Kyodo News said, citing anonymous sources.
Photo: AP
Multiple government sources said that the missiles would be an upgraded version of Mitsubishi’s Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, Kyodo News reported.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force already has land-based anti-ship missile units on Kyushu, and potential deployment sites for the new missiles include Yufu in the island’s Oita Prefecture, and a garrison in Kumamoto City, it said.
However, as the missile sites could become potential targets for attacks, opposition from residents are expected, it said.
To address such concerns, the government would hold briefing sessions to gain local support, it added.
Although Okinawa is geographically closer to China, the Japanese government is wary of deploying new missiles there, as doing so could further escalate regional tensions, the report said.
As a result, Okinawa would not be included in the initial phase of the missiles’ deployment, it said.
The decision to deploy the new missiles is being seen by some military analysts as a shift in Japan’s defense strategy toward a more offensive-oriented “counterstrike capability,” it said.
Japanese authorities hope the deployment could serve as a deterrent to threats from North Korea, as well as a “check on China’s military actions in the Taiwan Strait,” the report said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS