Chinese navy arrives in Sea of Japan just as Tokyo deploys long-range missiles
Five ships transit Tsushima Strait and are tracked heading northeast after China warned of strong response to ‘neo-militarism’
China has strongly protested the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force’s addition of the newly designated Type 25 long-range surface-to-ship guided (SSM) missile and hypervelocity gliding projectiles (HGP).
The deployments were an example of “neo-militarism in Japan, which has become more than just a perilous tendency but a very real threat that may wreak havoc on regional peace and security”, the Chinese defence ministry warned last month.
At Wednesday’s press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning again condemned the move as “neo-militarism” and said China was “seriously concerned” about the development.
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She criticised Japan for deploying offensive weapons under the guise of a “defensive counterstrike”, stating that it exceeded the scope of self-defence and Japan’s long-standing policy of an exclusively defensive stance.