China warns it will “crush” foreign interference over Japan’s missile plans near Taiwan

China has issued a sharp warning that it will “crush” any foreign attempts to interfere in what it calls its Taiwan affairs, after Japan confirmed plans to deploy missiles on an island close to the democratically governed territory.

“We have a firm will, strong determination and a strong ability to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Peng Qingen, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told a news conference on Wednesday. “We will crush all foreign interference,” he added, responding directly to Tokyo’s planned missile deployment.

Beijing accused Japan of deliberately escalating tensions. “Japan’s deployment of offensive weapons in areas adjacent to China’s Taiwan region is extremely dangerous, deliberately creating regional tensions and provoking military confrontation,” Peng said.

The reaction follows Sunday’s announcement by Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi that Tokyo would move ahead with placing a medium-range surface-to-air missile system on Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island, just 110km off Taiwan’s east coast. The island has hosted a Japanese military base since 2016.

Koizumi framed the move as protective, not provocative.

“We believe that having this unit in place will actually lower the chances of an armed attack against our country,” he said, later insisting the Type 03 guided missile system was purely defensive and “intended to counter aircraft and missiles invading our nation”.

China’s foreign ministry rejected this logic, describing the plan as a “deliberate attempt to create regional tension and provoke military confrontation”. Koizumi pushed back, saying the systems “are not intended to attack other countries, are deployed throughout Japan, and clearly do not heighten regional tensions”.

Taiwan, meanwhile, welcomed Japan’s move as a stabilising factor. It said the deployment “helps maintain security in the Taiwan Strait”.

“Of course, this is helpful to our national interests as Japan has no territorial designs or hostility towards Taiwan,” Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu said.

Against the backdrop of rising pressure from Beijing, Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te announced a $40bn supplementary defence budget to be rolled out between 2026 and 2033. The move builds on an earlier pledge to raise defence spending to 5 percent of GDP.

“National sovereignty and the core values of freedom and democracy are the very foundation of our nation,” Lai said, arguing that Taiwan’s increased spending demonstrated its resolve to defend itself. He warned that history shows compromising in the face of aggression leads only to “enslavement”.

Defence Minister Wellington Koo described the package as an upper limit, saying it would fund precision-strike missiles and joint procurement initiatives with the United States.

Beijing dismissed the budget as wasteful and politically motivated.

“They squander funds that could be used to improve people’s livelihoods and develop the economy on purchasing weapons and currying favour with external powers,” Peng said.