Japan's new long-range missiles put US-China on collision course
Why it matters: Japan’s missiles can now strike Shanghai, putting 1.4 billion Chinese citizens within range and risking US involvement in any conflict.
- Japan deployed the 600‑mile‑range Type 25 missile at Camp Kengun, capable of hitting Shanghai, and the HVGP hypersonic projectile at Camp Fuji.
- United States approved a $340 million equipment sale to Japan for the HVGP program and is supplying Tomahawk missiles for Japanese destroyers.
- China warned that Japan’s long‑range missiles exceed self‑defence limits and portray “neo‑militarism” that threatens regional peace.
- Japanese leadership cites the deployments as essential deterrence in a “severe and complex” security environment, despite massive public protests against the shift from pacifism.
- Upcoming US‑China summit may be forced to address the heightened risk of escalation as Japan’s new strike posture expands.
Japan has begun fielding its domestically built Type 25 long‑range missile and its first hypersonic glide weapon, extending strike reach to Shanghai and prompting Chinese officials to label the move a breach of self‑defence. The United States is backing the buildup, raising concerns that the upcoming US‑China summit could be clouded by a renewed East‑Asian security dilemma.
