BEIJING (Realist English). China on Thursday warned that Japan would “pay a painful price” if it crosses Beijing’s red lines on Taiwan, responding to Tokyo’s plan to deploy a new surface-to-air missile unit on Yonaguni Island, about 110 km off Taiwan’s east coast.
Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said Tokyo was inserting itself into an issue that “has nothing to do with Japan,” arguing that the Taiwan question remains an internal Chinese matter. “Rather than reflecting on its history of aggression and colonial rule in Taiwan, Japan is now indulging in fantasies of military intervention,” he said. “If Japan dares to cross the line even half a step, it will inevitably pay a painful price.”
The warning comes amid the sharpest downturn in Sino-Japanese relations in years. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Japan. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi later confirmed that preparations to station a missile unit on Yonaguni were “steadily moving forward.”
Taiwan’s government dismissed Beijing’s claims, saying only the island’s population can decide its future. President Lai Ching-te this week unveiled plans for an additional $40 billion in defence spending over eight years — a move China criticised as destabilizing and “wasteful.” Taipei countered that China’s own military expenditures far exceed Taiwan’s and urged Beijing to prioritise peace.
China’s military continues near-daily operations around Taiwan, which Taipei views as part of a sustained pressure campaign.