Japan unveils first plan to evacuate 100,000 civilians from islands near Taiwan in event of conflict

Sonai, the largest of three villages on Yonaguni, a Japanese island about 100km from Taiwan that is in the evacuation zone in the event of a conflict in the region. Photograph: Justin McCurry/The Guardian

Japan has for the first time released plans to evacuate more than 100,000 civilians from some of its remote islands near Taiwan in the event of conflict in the region, amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

Under the contingency, ships and planes would be mobilised to take about 110,000 residents and 10,000 tourists off five islands in the Sakishima chain in Japan’s far south-west.