With tensions high over Taiwan, Japan’s defense minister called the ballistic missile drill a “grave issue”
Five Chinese ballistic missiles have landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi claimed on Thursday. China had earlier scrapped a high-level diplomatic meeting with Japan, and fired a salvo of missiles into waters near Taiwan.
Kishi told Kyodo News that the incident marks the first time that a Chinese ballistic missile touched down in Japanese waters.
“This is a grave issue that concerns our country’s national security and the safety of the people,” Kishi said, adding that Tokyo had lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Chinese government.
Japan’s exclusive economic zone is vast, and its extent is disputed by several nations, including China. The Japanese island of Yonaguni sits just 108 kilometers (67 miles) east of Taiwan, while Japan also claims sovereignty over the uninhabited Senkaku…
