Deployment of Typhon undermines peace: China Daily editorial

In a provocative move that poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability, the United States plans to "temporarily "deploy its Typhon intermediate-range missile system on Japanese territory during a joint US-Japan military exercise from Sept 11 to 25.About 1,900 US and 12,300 Japanese marines and other military personnel will participate in the drill code-named Resolute Dragon. The system will purportedly be withdrawn from Japan after the end of the drill, according to reports.

The land-based, ground-launched system, which will be positioned about 40 kilometers southeast of Hiroshima, can be used to launch SM-6 multi-role missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles, whose range can reach 2,000 kilometers.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the deployment another "destabilizing step" by Washington in "building up the capabilities of its ground-based short- and intermediate-range missiles for the purpose of forward deployment of such systems in various regions of the world".

It would be the Typhon system's third deployment in the Western Pacific. The US army conducted a live-fire test with the Typhon system in Australia last month, the first time that this missile system was fired on foreign soil. And in April last year, the US shipped the missile system to the Philippines during a joint military drill.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to the move, urged the US and Japan to respect other countries' security concerns, refrain from the deployment of Typhon, and contribute to regional peace and stability with concrete actions. "China has repeatedly expressed grave concerns on relevant issues," spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday, adding that China always opposes the US deploying the Typhon system in Asian countries.

The joint exercise will start just days after China's scheduled military parade on Sept 3, which is part of a series of activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. Commenting on this, Kyodo News said in a report that the missile system deployment, for the first time on Japanese territory, is viewed as sending a message to China.

The joint drills, which focus on "controlling and defending key maritime terrain", reflect a deliberate escalation of the US efforts to build integrated, land-based strike capabilities across the Asia-Pacific region, which will inevitably escalate tensions in East Asia, particularly with Japan's neighboring countries.

Since its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, the US, with the purpose of maintaining its hegemonic position globally, has sought to deploy ground-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region, which it believes could help beef up military deterrence against China.

The "temporary" deployment of the Typhon system during the joint drills is nothing but a tentative step toward the planned permanent deployment of mid-range missiles in Japan which, if materialized, could upset the existing strategic balance and increase the risk of miscalculation and conflict.

The deployment aims to tilt regional dynamics in favor of increased dependency on US military protection among Asia-Pacific countries, which can be anticipated to lead to increased US arms sales, allowing Washington to extract greater economic and political concessions from its allies. This strategy could have far-reaching negative impacts on regional security and diminish strategic stability by triggering an arms race in the region.

As for Japan, because of its history of militarist aggression, the country's military and security moves have always been scrutinized by its Asian neighbors and the international community. For Japan to ostentatiously show off its military strength and ambition in collaboration with the US shortly after China's parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War is tantamount to a betrayal of history and implies an attempt to challenge the moral sensibility of humanity.

The US and Japan will intensify confrontation and make the region more volatile and insecure if they continue with their adventurous moves in disregard of the security concerns of regional countries.