As China flexes its maritime muscle, Japan’s defence minister visits troop base on ‘front line’ island

Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya conducts tour of ground defence force base on Miyako

Island is about 210km from Japan-controlled Senkakus in East China Sea, which Beijing also claims and calls Diaoyu

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Miyako is about 210km from the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands (pictured) in the East China Sea. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 3:02pm, 7 Apr 2019Updated: 11:46pm, 16 Apr 2019

Japan’s Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Sunday highlighted the nation’s resolve to defend its far-flung territory amid China’s maritime assertiveness, by touring a newly opened base for the ground defence forces on the island of Miyako.

“The Miyako Island camp is on the front line of our country’s defences. We are seeing steady progress over the defence of the southwestern region,” he told the Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) members deployed to the islet, about 290km (180 miles) southwest of Okinawa’s main island.

Miyako is about 210km from the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China claims and calls Diaoyu. Chinese government ships have repeatedly entered Japanese waters around the islands, creating tensions.

The GSDF is gearing up to fill what is considered a defence vacuum in the waters around Okinawa, with Japanese troops having been stationed only on the prefecture’s main island until recent years.

Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya says the new Miyako Island camp is on the front line of Japan’s defences. Photo: AFP

On Miyako, a 380-member security unit was deployed to a camp established on March 26. Missile units are also expected to be installed as early as next year, with the total number of troops there to eventually increase to 700 or 800.