Washington weighing deploying medium-range missiles to U.S. forces in Japan, Sankei reports

TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Washington has urged deploying medium-range missiles in Japan as a part of a plan to bolster defences in opposition to China alongside the East and South China Seas, the Sankei newspaper reported on Saturday citing unidentified folks concerned with U.S.-Japan relations.

The deployment to U.S. forces in Japan could embody long-range hypersonic weapons and Tomahawks, the newspaper reported, including with out citing sources that Tokyo is poised to start out critical dialogue towards accepting the deployment.

Although the situation is undecided, the Sankei mentioned Japan was contemplating the southern island of Kyushu as a risk. It was not clear from the report whether or not the Sankei was citing one or a number of sources.

Japan and the USA wish to reinforce islands separating the East China Sea from the Western Pacific as a result of they’re near Taiwan – a democratically ruled island which China claims as its personal territory – and kind a part of what navy planners confer with because the ‘First Island Chain’ extending all the way down to Indonesia that hems in China’s forces.

Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Enhancing by Christopher Cushing

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