China has strongly criticized reports that the United States military plans to deploy its Typhon mid-range missile system to Japan during upcoming joint military exercises, warning that the move could increase military confrontation and destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.
During a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to reports that the U.S. military is preparing to deploy the Typhon mid-range capability missile system to Kanoya Airbase in Kagoshima Prefecture as part of U.S.-Japan military exercises scheduled between June and September.
According to the reports referenced during the briefing, the missile system is expected to remain in Japan after the exercises and later be transferred to a permanent U.S. military base in the country.
Guo Jiakun stated that China firmly opposes the deployment of U.S. mid-range missile systems in Asian countries and said Beijing has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the issue.
The Chinese spokesperson described the Typhon system as a “strategic offensive weapon” and warned that its deployment would damage the legitimate security interests of regional countries. China argued that the move would threaten regional strategic security while increasing the risks of military confrontation and an arms race in the Asia-Pacific.
Beijing further claimed that the deployment would not contribute to peace or stability in the region. Guo Jiakun added that opposition to the deployment has already emerged from several Asian countries, including voices within Japan itself.
China urged both the United States and Japan to reconsider the plan and respond to concerns raised by countries across the region. According to the spokesperson, Washington and Tokyo should “correct the erroneous practice” and instead take concrete actions that support regional peace and stability.
The remarks also included broader criticism of Japan’s current defense policies and military posture. Guo Jiakun described the reported deployment as another sign of what China calls Japan’s “accelerated remilitarization.”
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, recent developments indicate that Japanese right-wing political forces are seeking a broad restructuring of Japan’s military capabilities while preparing for what Beijing referred to as a potential “extended conflict.”
China further argued that such developments could weaken the spirit of Japan’s pacifist constitution and challenge both international and domestic legal frameworks established after World War II.
The spokesperson claimed these developments contradict Japan’s longstanding image as a “country for peace” and warned that what China called the “malevolent emergence of Japanese neo-militarism” could once again become a source of instability and turbulence in the region.
Beijing also called on the international community to remember the lessons of history, remain highly vigilant, and work together to restrain what it described as a dangerous trend toward militarization.
The reported Typhon deployment comes at a time of increasing military competition and strategic rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States and Japan have continued expanding defense cooperation amid rising tensions involving China, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and broader regional security concerns.
The Typhon missile system has attracted international attention because of its ability to launch long-range missiles capable of targeting strategic assets across large distances. Analysts view such deployments as part of Washington’s broader effort to strengthen military deterrence and operational capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, China has repeatedly criticized the growing U.S. military presence in Asia, arguing that expanded missile deployments and defense cooperation networks risk escalating geopolitical tensions and destabilizing regional security arrangements.
As military activities and strategic competition intensify across the Indo-Pacific, the issue is likely to remain a major point of friction between Beijing, Washington, and Tokyo in the coming months.
