Posted on 03/19/2023 4:10:43 AM PDT by RomanSoldier19
apan's Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) began operating out of a newly established base on the country's southwestern island of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on March 16.
The new base is the fourth in the Nansei Islands to be established off the main island of Okinawa. The other three are on Kagoshima Prefecture's Amami-Oshima Island and the islands of Miyako and Yonaguni in Okinawa Prefecture.
For Japan, increasingly wary of China, the base is a likely future host for long-range surface-to-ship missiles. Around 570 troops are stationed on the base. Its missile unit possesses surface-to-air missiles and truck-mounted Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles to deter China's military ships and aircraft passing through nearby waters and airspace. The base's security unit is tasked with taking initial action in response to disasters or military threats.
The Nansei Islands stretch some 1,200 kilometers from Yonaguni in the southwest to the Osumi Islands in the northeast, just off the southern coast of Japan's third-largest island of Kyushu. China considers the islands to be part of its basic line of defense, extending to the Philippines and South China Sea, against the United States in the event of a war over Taiwan.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Japan population 125 million
China population 1.4 billion
Who cares, the Chinese have pathetic sealift capability.
Japan’s navy, after the US, is the most technologically advanced in the world.
Japan just ordered 400 Tomahawk long range cruise missiles from the US and their domestic defense industry is ramping up.
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50,000 people on that Island. We created a monster in China. Nixon used them against the Soviets. Carter gave them recognition. The American public was asleep at the switch. Uniformed and they let the deep staters get carried away with their games. Think Loral.
I blame Kissinger for the China screw up. And both Rs and Ds for allowing them to have Most Favored Trading Status and WTO recognition.
Sold out for money. But we move on, and prepare for potential conflict now.
50,000 people on that Island. We created a monster in China. Nixon used them against the Soviets. Carter gave them recognition. B. Clinton sold them every secret the US had for campaign cash.
Fixed.
The Bush’ and Clintons totally sold us out. Obama took it to the next level.
I bicycled around Ishigaki in the 80s. The US left that island in the late 60s, but left it with a better infrastructure than most rural places in Japan at the time. I assume the Japanese are refurbishing the old US bases there.
Great place and people, all very friendly and pretty happy. Only real downside were the great number of large habu adders there. I remember looking into a drainage grate on the highway there, and seeing a snake ball of those guys. On the plus side, they still make a shochu out of sugar cane that beats Brazilian cachaca hands down.
Add to this, the incessant government propaganda against Japanese, inciting Chinese to want to further racism against Japanese. It's in their movies, TV, and written fiction. That does not bode well for Japan if China attacks. On the other hand, the Japanese are smarter and fight well. China may have more people, but Japan has better values and guts.
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