China had responded to her comments with vitriol in state media commentaries, bans on Japanese seafood, a halt in Japanese movie releases and a warning to citizens not to visit Japan.
In mid-November, its defence ministry warned Japan of a “crushing” military defeat if it used force to intervene over democratically governed Taiwan.
Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it, though the island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
In Taipei on Monday, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu told lawmakers that Japan, as a sovereign nation, had the right to take steps needed to protect the security of its territory, pointing out how close Yonaguni is to Taiwan.
“Japan’s strengthening of its relevant military facilities is basically helpful to maintaining security in the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
“So, of course, this is helpful to our national interests as Japan has no territorial designs or hostility towards Taiwan.”
On Sunday, Koizumi said the missile deployment aimed to protect Yonaguni, adding: “We believe that having this unit in place will actually lower the chances of an armed attack against our country.”
Source: CNA
