Japan scrambles jets after suspected Chinese drone near Yonaguni
“A suspected Chinese drone passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan” on Monday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said on the US social media platform X. In response, fighter jets from the southwestern Air Defense Force “were scrambled” on an emergency basis to intercept it, the ministry added.
China has not commented on Japan’s claims. On Monday, Beijing protested Japan’s reported plan to deploy missiles on Yonaguni Island.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yonaguni in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, where Japan plans to station a unit of medium-range, surface-to-air missiles, according to reports. During the trip, he said the deployment, about 110 kilometers (68.3 miles) from Taiwan, would proceed as planned.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Koizumi noted that the same type of missiles has already been deployed elsewhere in Japan and dismissed China’s concerns. “The weapons are for national security,” he said.
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