Japan to develop new land-to-sea missile as tension with China over disputed islands mount

Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile as part of plans to beef up its defence of remote southern islands, as tensions with China increase over the disputed territory, a report said Sunday.

The two countries are locked in a long-running dispute over the uninhabited Diaoyu Islands, which Tokyo calls the Senkakus.

The report comes after repeated protests by Japanese foreign ministry officials over what Tokyo calls “intrusions” by Chinese ships in the territorial and contiguous waters of the rocky islands.

Tokyo plans to deploy the weapon, which reportedly will have a range of 300km on islands such as Miyako in Okinawa prefecture, the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said, without citing sources. The range will cover the disputed island chain, the Yomiuri said, adding that the deployment is expected by 2023.

Officials at the Defence Ministry could not be reached for comment.