China bristles at US Army’s Typhon missile launcher in Japan

MANILA, Philippines — China criticized the U.S. Army’s move to deploy the Typhon missile launcher in Japan this week, warning it increases the risk of military confrontation and undermines regional security interests.

The reaction comes after the U.S. Army officially unveiled the mid-range missile system in Japan during annual bilateral exercise Resolute Dragon. This year’s iteration is the largest to date, with more than 19,000 American and Japanese troops.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday that the Asian deployment of the launchers “undermines the legitimate security interests of other countries, fuels the risk of a regional arms race and military confrontation, and poses a substantial threat to regional strategic security.”

China “strongly deplores and opposes the move,” he said, adding calls for its immediate pullout from the region.

Lin said the U.S. and Japan should “respect other countries’ security concerns and play a positive role for regional peace and stability, not the other way around.”

China made the claim weeks after showcasing its nuclear arsenal and hypersonic capabilities in a Victory Parade early this month. The parade was attended by Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto.

The Typhon’s presence in Asia has ruffled China after the missile system made its first showing in the Philippines last year. China has alluded to the launchers in its annual defense white paper and repeatedly claimed the missile system destabilizes regional security.

The U.S. deployed its second Typhon battery to Hawaii earlier this year, reportedly with the intention of moving it across the region after some Asian countries requested its presence within their territories to bolster deterrence.

The Typhons’ deployment in Japan has attracted Russia’s attention.

In a commentary published on Aug. 28, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Typhon poses a direct strategic threat and warned that should the deployment proceed, Russia would take appropriate “military-technical measures.”

China and Russia have deepened their cooperation in recent years, alarming Tokyo. Japan’s defense ministry has reported a marked increase in the presence of Chinese and Russian warships, missile systems, and fighter jets close to Japanese territories.

Leilani Chavez is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. Her reporting expertise is in East Asian politics, development projects, environmental issues and security.

菲律宾马尼拉——中国批评美国陆军本周在日本部署“台风”导弹发射器的举动，警告称此举增加了军事对抗的风险，并损害了地区安全利益。

此前，美国陆军在日本举行的年度双边联合军演“坚定之龙”期间正式展示了其中程导弹系统。今年的军演规模空前，美日双方共有超过19000名士兵参加。

中国外交部发言人林健周二在北京对记者表示，在亚洲部署这些发射器“损害了他国的合法安全利益，加剧了地区军备竞赛和军事对抗的风险，对地区战略安全构成重大威胁”。

他说，中国“强烈谴责并反对这一举动”，并呼吁其立即从该地区撤军。

林表示，美国和日本应该“尊重其他国家的安全关切，为地区和平稳定发挥积极作用，而不是反过来”。

中国在本月初举行胜利日阅兵式，展示其核武库和高超音速武器能力数周后，发表了上述声明。俄罗斯总统普京、朝鲜领导人金正恩和印度尼西亚总统普拉博沃·苏比安托出席了阅兵式。

自去年“台风”导弹系统在菲律宾首次亮相以来，其在亚洲的存在已令中国感到不安。中国在其年度国防白皮书中多次提及该导弹系统，并反复声称该导弹系统破坏地区安全。

今年早些时候，美国向夏威夷部署了第二套“台风”导弹防御系统，据报道，一些亚洲国家要求在其领土内部署该系统以加强威慑，此举意在将该系统转移到该地区。

Typhon战机在日本的部署引起了俄罗斯的关注。

8月28日，外交部发言人玛丽亚·扎哈罗娃在一篇评论文章中表示，“台风”导弹构成直接的战略威胁，并警告说，如果部署继续进行，俄罗斯将采取适当的“军事技术措施”。

近年来，中国和俄罗斯的合作不断深化，令东京感到担忧。日本防卫省报告称，中国和俄罗斯的军舰、导弹系统和战斗机在日本领海附近出现的次数显著增加。

莱拉尼·查韦斯是《防务新闻》的亚洲记者。她的报道专长是东亚政治、发展项目、环境问题和安全。