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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Japan to deploy missiles to island near Taiwan by 2031, says defence minister

An aerial view shows Yonaguni island
An aerial view shows Yonaguni island, Okinawa, where Japan says it will place missiles by 2031. Photograph: KYODO/Reuters

Japan will deploy missiles to a tiny island near Taiwan within five years, its defence minister has said, in a move that is likely to inflame tensions with China.

The surface-to-air missiles, which are capable of shooting down aircraft and ballistic missiles, will be located on Yonaguni – Japan’s westernmost island – by March 2031, Shinjiro Koizumi said.

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