Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

When asked to comment on reports that the US is planning to deploy the Typhon mid-range missile system at Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, from June to September for joint military drills, and relocate the system to US military bases in Japan after the exercises, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that China has noted the relevant reports and firmly opposes the deployment of mid-range missile systems by the US in Asian countries and had repeatedly voiced concerns over the issue.

Guo said the Typhon missile system is a strategically offensive weapon. It undermines the legitimate security interests of other nations, endangers regional strategic security, and heightens the risks of military confrontation and arms races, bringing nothing but harm to regional peace and stability. People across many Asian countries, including Japan, have long voiced persistent opposition. 

China urges the US and Japan to heed calls from regional countries, rectify erroneous moves, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability, Guo told a regular press conference.

The spokesperson added that this move serves as further evidence of Japan's accelerating remilitarization. Multiple signs indicate that right-wing forces in Japan are seeking an overall overhaul of military capabilities to prepare for "protracted warfare." Such acts essentially hollow out constraints set by Japan's constitution, international law and domestic legislation, and challenge the post-war international order, running counter to Japan's self-proclaimed identity as a peace-loving nation. 

The rising "neo-militarism" in Japan poses grave hazards and risks triggering regional turmoil once again. The international community must draw lessons from history, stay highly vigilant and jointly curb such tendencies, Guo said.

Global Times