Amid security concerns, Japan deploys troops on remote islands near China, Taiwan

Because of security concerns about China, Japan has decided to station missile troops on remote islands near China and Taiwan, according to a report.

The country has dispatched a large number of troops, including missile units, to secure its position in the region and demonstrate its defence capabilities. According to CNN, approximately 570 men from Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force will be stationed at the recently built garrison on Ishigaki island in the prefecture of Okinawa. According to reports, the troops arrived on Thursday.

Notably, the island of Ishigaki, which is located 200 kilometres south of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, is well-known among scuba divers.The islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and Diaoyutai in Taiwan, have become a focal point for rising tensions in the region.

In response to growing security concerns, Japan has increased military base construction in Okinawa, a band of 150 islands in the East China Sea that curves south of Japan’s main islands, according to CNN.

On Friday, two Chinese vessels entered Japan’s territorial water near the Senkaku Islands on Friday, pursuing two Japanese fishing boats in the East China Sea, Japan’s NHK World reported.

The two Chinese ships reportedly entered Friday in territorial waters off Taisho Island between 4:20 and 4:50 a.m. (local time).