Latest news with #ChinaDeterrence
National Post
25-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Japan conducts first missile test on its own territory as part of deterrent against Chinese aggression
TOKYO — Japan's military test-fired a missile on Japanese territory for the first time Tuesday, as the country accelerates its military buildup to deter China. Article content The Type 88 surface-to-ship, short-range missile was tested at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. The Ground Self-Defense Force's 1st Artillery Brigade used a training missile to target a boat with no crew about 40 kilometers (24 miles) off the island's southern coast. Article content Article content Article content Due to space limitations and safety concerns, Japan conducted past missile tests in the United States, a treaty ally, and Australia, a top Japanese defense partner where vast training grounds are available. Article content Article content Dozens of protesters stood outside a neighboring army camp, saying missile tests only escalates tension in Asia and risks for Japan to be involved in possible conflicts. Article content Tuesday's first domestic missile test underscores Japan's push toward a more self-sufficient military and its acquisition of strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China's increasingly assertive naval activity in regional seas. Article content Japan and Russia, a northern neighbor to Hokkaido, have territorial disputes. Article content Japan, under its post-Second World War pacifist constitution, used to limit the use of force for self-defense only, but made a major break from that policy in 2022 when it adopted a five-year security strategy that names China as its biggest strategic challenge and calls for a closer Japan-U.S. alliance. Article content Article content Japan is currently working to deploy long-range cruise missiles, including Tomahawks purchased from the U.S., beginning later this year. Article content Article content Japan is also developing Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles with a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), 10 times that of a Type 88. Article content The truck-mounted Type 88 guided missile, developed by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has a range of about 100 kilometers (62 miles). Article content Japan is also preparing to build a missile-firing range on uninhabited Minamitorishima, the country's easternmost island in the western Pacific, an area where two Chinese aircraft carriers were seen operating together for the first time earlier this month. Article content
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
US is leaving open the possibility of a troop drawdown in South Korea
SINGAPORE (AP) — The United States is not ruling out a reduction in forces deployed to South Korea as the Trump administration determines what presence it needs in the region to best counter China, two senior American defense officials told reporters traveling with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Singapore. There are 28,500 U.S. troops deployed to South Korea as part of the U.S. long-term commitment to help defend Seoul from any attack from North Korea. But the U.S. is also trying to array its forces and ships optimally across the Indo-Pacific as a credible deterrent against China for any potential attack on Taiwan and other acts of aggression against allies in the region. No decision has been made on the number of troops deployed to South Korea, but any future footprint would be optimized not only to defend against Pyongyang but also to deter China, one of the officials said. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss deliberations that have not been made public. Hegseth is in Singapore to attend his first Shangri-La dialogue as President Donald Trump's defense secretary. His South Korean counterpart is not expected to attend due to elections in Seoul. A possible reduction in forces was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
