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URLhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9gj1w2kn1o
Last Crawled2026-03-18 08:27:31 (21 days ago)
First Indexed2026-02-25 04:03:09 (1 month ago)
HTTP Status Code200
Meta TitleJapan to deploy missiles on Yonaguni island near Taiwan by 2031
Meta DescriptionThe remote Yonaguni island lies on the frontlines of self-governing Taiwan's growing tensions with China.
Meta Canonicalnull
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25 February 2026 Kelly Ng and Shaimaa Khalil, Tokyo correspondent Getty Images Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, its defence minister said, as regional tensions simmer. It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni island since it was announced in 2022. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" with it. Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day, located just 110km (68 miles) away. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have run high since November when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan. The worry has long been that any attack on Taiwan, which counts the US as an ally, could result in a direct military conflict between Washington and Beijing, then widen to include other US allies in the region such as Japan. Takaichi's remarks to parliament plunged ties with China to their lowest level in years and Beijing has been piling on the pressure in a wide range of ways - sending warships, throttling rare earth exports, curbing Chinese tourism, cancelling concerts and even reclaiming its pandas. Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the timeline for the missiles on Tuesday, a day after China imposed export curbs on 20 Japanese companies and entities, citing national security concerns. Koizumi said the Yonaguni unit will be equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles able to intercept incoming aircraft and missiles. With a range of about 50km and 360-degree capability, the Japanese-made missile system can track up to 100 targets simultaneously and engage up to 12 at once. China has yet to react to Koizumi's announcement. But when Koizumi visited Yonaguni in November, Beijing said Japan was moving to "create regional tension and provoke military confrontation". Within days, China flew drones near the island to express its anger, prompting Japan to scramble aircraft jets in response. The latest developments come after Takaichi secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month. That victory gave Takaichi political space to double down on boosting Japan's defence capabilities. This makes the announcement on Yonaguni island more than just a military adjustment - it looks like the opening chapter for a more assertive Tokyo. And as Takaichi bolsters the country's military and defence budget, such assertiveness seems unlikely to end here. The Yonaguni announcement also shows where Japan sees its front line - and how far it is prepared to go to defend it. Over the past decade, Japan has transformed sleepy Yonaguni into a military outpost, which currently handles coastal surveillance and is staffed by some 160 members of Japan's self-defence force. An electronic warfare unit capable of disrupting enemy communications and radar will be set up there in fiscal year 2026, which runs from April to March next year. The timing for the deployment of the missile unit "may change depending on the progress of future facility improvements, but the current plan is for fiscal year 2030", Koizumi said.
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It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni island since it was announced in 2022. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" with it. Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day, located just 110km (68 miles) away. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have run high since November when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan. The worry has long been that any attack on Taiwan, which counts the US as an ally, could result in a direct military conflict between Washington and Beijing, then widen to include other US allies in the region such as Japan. Takaichi's remarks to parliament plunged ties with China to their lowest level in years and Beijing has been piling on the pressure in a wide range of ways - sending warships, throttling rare earth exports, curbing Chinese tourism, cancelling concerts and even reclaiming its pandas. Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the timeline for the missiles on Tuesday, a day after China imposed export curbs on 20 Japanese companies and entities, citing national security concerns. Koizumi said the Yonaguni unit will be equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles able to intercept incoming aircraft and missiles. With a range of about 50km and 360-degree capability, the Japanese-made missile system can track up to 100 targets simultaneously and engage up to 12 at once. China has yet to react to Koizumi's announcement. But when Koizumi visited Yonaguni in November, Beijing said Japan was moving to "create regional tension and provoke military confrontation". Within days, China flew drones near the island to express its anger, prompting Japan to scramble aircraft jets in response. The latest developments come after Takaichi secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month. That victory gave Takaichi political space to double down on boosting Japan's defence capabilities. This makes the announcement on Yonaguni island more than just a military adjustment - it looks like the opening chapter for a more assertive Tokyo. And as Takaichi bolsters the country's military and defence budget, such assertiveness seems unlikely to end here. The Yonaguni announcement also shows where Japan sees its front line - and how far it is prepared to go to defend it. Over the past decade, Japan has transformed sleepy Yonaguni into a military outpost, which currently handles coastal surveillance and is staffed by some 160 members of Japan's self-defence force. An electronic warfare unit capable of disrupting enemy communications and radar will be set up there in fiscal year 2026, which runs from April to March next year. The timing for the deployment of the missile unit "may change depending on the progress of future facility improvements, but the current plan is for fiscal year 2030", Koizumi said. [China is hitting Japan where it hurts. Will PM Takaichi give in?](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86y3ndqlxwo) [Asia](https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c5rznn0nvvyt) [China](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/china) [Taiwan](https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cg41ylwvw2qt) [Japan](https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cjnwl8q4g7nt) *** Related [Chinese national charged for trying to smuggle 2,000 ants from Kenya](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mjmg0ymk9o) [Will the Iran war squeeze India's piped gas next?](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6dl175w01o) [Suspected stray bullet from military drill hits girl at playground](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk8ke84820o) *** More from the BBC [22 hrs ago ![President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping shake hands as they pose for pictures](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x1024/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China The escalating war in Iran has overshadowed many of the US' foreign policy objectives 22 hrs ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9e0z7v3nxo) [2 days ago ![Kevin Smith has sunglasses resting on his forehead and a short beard, and short dark hair. 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Critics say Xi's purges reveal a ruthless drive for absolute loyalty and total control of the military. 4 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78xxyyqwe7o) [5 days ago ![A middle ages man wearing a dark suit carries a coffee cup](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x1024/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Australian businessman found guilty of working for suspected Chinese spies Csergo argued his reports did not contain any secrets but only information available on the internet. 5 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx28zl37x9po) [6 days ago ![Close-up showing several live ants contained in clear test tubes](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x1024/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya The suspect had packed some ants in test tubes while others were concealed in tissue paper rolls, prosecutor says. 6 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7gd57z33zo) *** - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/) - [News](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/business) - [Technology](https://www.bbc.com/technology) - [Health](https://www.bbc.com/health) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/culture) - [Arts](https://www.bbc.com/arts) - [Travel](https://www.bbc.com/travel) - [Earth](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet) - [Audio](https://www.bbc.com/audio) - [Video](https://www.bbc.com/video) - [Live](https://www.bbc.com/live) - [Weather](https://www.bbc.com/weather) - [BBC Shop](https://shop.bbc.com/) - [BritBox](https://www.britbox.com/?utm_source=bbc.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=footer) BBC in other languages ### The BBC is in multiple languages #### Read the BBC In your own language [Oduu Afaan Oromootiin](https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo) [Amharic ዜና በአማርኛ](https://www.bbc.com/amharic) [Arabic عربي](https://www.bbc.com/arabic) [Azeri AZƏRBAYCAN](https://www.bbc.com/azeri) [Bangla বাংলা](https://www.bbc.com/bengali) [Burmese မြန်မာ](https://www.bbc.com/burmese) [Chinese 中文网](https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp) [Dari دری](https://www.bbc.com/dari) [French AFRIQUE](https://www.bbc.com/afrique) [Hausa HAUSA](https://www.bbc.com/hausa) [Hindi हिन्दी](https://www.bbc.com/hindi) [Gaelic NAIDHEACHDAN](https://www.bbc.com/naidheachdan) [Gujarati ગુજરાતીમાં સમાચાર](https://www.bbc.com/gujarati) [Igbo AKỤKỌ N’IGBO](https://www.bbc.com/igbo) [Indonesian INDONESIA](https://www.bbc.com/indonesia) [Japanese 日本語](https://www.bbc.com/japanese) [Kinyarwanda GAHUZA](https://www.bbc.com/gahuza) [Kirundi KIRUNDI](https://www.bbc.com/gahuza) [Korean 한국어](https://www.bbc.com/korean) [Kyrgyz Кыргыз](https://www.bbc.com/kyrgyz) [Marathi मराठी](https://www.bbc.com/marathi) [Nepali नेपाली](https://www.bbc.com/nepali) [Noticias para hispanoparlantes](https://www.bbc.com/mundo) [Pashto پښتو](https://www.bbc.com/pashto) [Persian فارسی](https://www.bbc.com/persian) [Pidgin](https://www.bbc.com/pidgin) [Polish PO POLSKU](https://www.bbc.com/polska) [Portuguese BRASIL](https://www.bbc.com/portuguese) [Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ](https://www.bbc.com/punjabi) [Russian НА РУССКОМ](https://www.bbc.com/russian) [Serbian NA SRPSKOM](https://www.bbc.com/serbian/lat) [Sinhala සිංහල](https://www.bbc.com/sinhala) [Somali SOMALI](https://www.bbc.com/somali) [Swahili HABARI KWA KISWAHILI](https://www.bbc.com/swahili) [Tamil தமிழில் செய்திகள்](https://www.bbc.com/tamil) [Telugu తెలుగు వార్తలు](https://www.bbc.com/telugu) [Thai ข่าวภาษาไทย](https://www.bbc.com/thai) [Tigrinya ዜና ብትግርኛ](https://www.bbc.com/tigrinya) [Turkish TÜRKÇE](https://www.bbc.com/turkce) [Ukrainian УКРАЇНСЬКA](https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian) [Urdu اردو](https://www.bbc.com/urdu) [Uzbek O'ZBEK](https://www.bbc.com/uzbek) [Vietnamese TIẾNG VIỆT](https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese) [Welsh NEWYDDION](https://www.bbc.com/cymrufyw) [Yoruba ÌRÒYÌN NÍ YORÙBÁ](https://www.bbc.com/yoruba) Follow BBC on: - [Terms of Use](https://www.bbc.com/pages/terms-of-use) - [Subscription Terms](https://www.bbc.com/pages/subscription-terms) - [About the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.bbc.com/pages/privacy-policy) - [Cookies](https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies/) - [Accessibility Help](https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) - [Contact the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact) - [Advertise with us](https://advertising.bbcstudios.com/) - [Do not share or sell my info](https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies/how-can-i-change-my-bbc-cookie-settings/) - [BBC.com Help & FAQs](https://help.bbc.com/hc/) - [Content Index](https://www.bbc.com/pages/content-index) - [Set Preferred Source](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260128-how-to-make-google-put-trusted-sources-up-top-when-you-search) Copyright 2026 BBC. 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25 February 2026 Kelly Ngand Shaimaa Khalil,Tokyo correspondent ![Getty Images Aerial view of Japan's Yonaguni Island](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2674/live/a06c4dd0-11f8-11f1-ac81-73be0b86ece0.jpg.webp)Getty Images Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, its defence minister said, as regional tensions simmer. It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni island since it was announced in 2022. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" with it. Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day, located just 110km (68 miles) away. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have run high since November when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan. The worry has long been that any attack on Taiwan, which counts the US as an ally, could result in a direct military conflict between Washington and Beijing, then widen to include other US allies in the region such as Japan. Takaichi's remarks to parliament plunged ties with China to their lowest level in years and Beijing has been piling on the pressure in a wide range of ways - sending warships, throttling rare earth exports, curbing Chinese tourism, cancelling concerts and even reclaiming its pandas. Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the timeline for the missiles on Tuesday, a day after China imposed export curbs on 20 Japanese companies and entities, citing national security concerns. Koizumi said the Yonaguni unit will be equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles able to intercept incoming aircraft and missiles. With a range of about 50km and 360-degree capability, the Japanese-made missile system can track up to 100 targets simultaneously and engage up to 12 at once. China has yet to react to Koizumi's announcement. But when Koizumi visited Yonaguni in November, Beijing said Japan was moving to "create regional tension and provoke military confrontation". Within days, China flew drones near the island to express its anger, prompting Japan to scramble aircraft jets in response. The latest developments come after Takaichi secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month. That victory gave Takaichi political space to double down on boosting Japan's defence capabilities. This makes the announcement on Yonaguni island more than just a military adjustment - it looks like the opening chapter for a more assertive Tokyo. And as Takaichi bolsters the country's military and defence budget, such assertiveness seems unlikely to end here. The Yonaguni announcement also shows where Japan sees its front line - and how far it is prepared to go to defend it. Over the past decade, Japan has transformed sleepy Yonaguni into a military outpost, which currently handles coastal surveillance and is staffed by some 160 members of Japan's self-defence force. An electronic warfare unit capable of disrupting enemy communications and radar will be set up there in fiscal year 2026, which runs from April to March next year. The timing for the deployment of the missile unit "may change depending on the progress of future facility improvements, but the current plan is for fiscal year 2030", Koizumi said.
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