April 2, 2026

China has expressed "grave concern" over Japan's deployment of long-range missiles capable of striking what Tokyo calls "enemy bases".

Japan announced on Tuesday the deployment of the long-range missiles in its Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan "faces the most severe and complex security environment in the postwar era" and must build up its ability to defend itself from outside the region.

In response, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday that Japan's deployment of offensive weapons under the pretext of "defense" and "counterattack" far exceeds the scope of "self-defense" and "exclusive defense".

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https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202604/02/WS69cda277a310d6866eb4141d.html