BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the deployment of mid-range missile systems by the United States in Asian countries, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday, urging the United States and Japan to rectify their wrongdoings.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing. According to media reports, the U.S. military plans to deploy its Typhon mid-range missile system in Japan between June and September for their joint military drills. After the exercises, the system will be moved to a U.S. military base in Japan.
Guo noted the deployment of Typhon, a strategic offensive weapon, will harm the legitimate security interests of other countries, threaten regional strategic security, and push up the risk of military confrontation and arms race. It will bring nothing but harm to peace and stability in the region.
Over the years, people from multiple Asian countries, including Japan, have voiced their opposition to the deployment, said Guo. "China urges the U.S. and Japan to listen to the calls of regional countries, correct the erroneous practice, and play a positive role with concrete actions for regional peace and stability," said the spokesperson.
Guo said this move is yet another example of Japan's accelerated remilitarization. Various signs show that Japanese right-wing forces are seeking to have an overall restructuring of Japan's military capabilities and preparing for a so-called "extended conflict." This essentially will hollow out Japan's Constitution and the rules of international and domestic laws, and challenge the postwar international order, which is inconsistent with Japan's self-claimed image as a "country for peace."
The malevolent emergence of Japanese neo-militarism may once again become a source of regional turbulence. The international community must keep in mind the lessons from history, stay on high alert, and jointly restrain this dangerous momentum, Guo added. ■
