Japan Self Defense Force deployed near disputed Senkaku Islands.

On March 26, Japan deployed hundreds of troops and missile units on its southwest island, in an area where China’s navy vessels sail frequently. This deployment is a move to counter what appears for months as a Chinese aggressive attitude, Nikoli Guillar reports in The Trumpet.

Missile Type 93 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Type 93 surface-to-air missile system (Picture source: Youtube)

The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force established new camps in two of Japan’s Southern Islands. Amami Oshima island, located more than 300 miles south of the Japanese mainland, will host more than 550 troops while Miyakojima island, near the Senkaku Islands, will host around 380 troops. The Senkaku Islands (called “Diaoyu” by China) are controlled by Japan and claimed by China.

Missile units fitted with surface-to-ship missiles and surface-to-air-missile capabilities were deployed on both islands. The government is also preparing another battalion of around 500 to 600 troops and missile systems in Okinawa’s Ishigaki island, about 60 miles southwest of Miyakojima island. Chinese ships have frequently entered Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands, raising tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

By deploying troops and missile units on islands that did not have a military presence before, Japan is filling a defense “vacuum” against a possible confrontation with China in the area, Nikoli Guillar concludes. These deployments show that Japan is accelerating its remilitarization, which is no longer disputed.