China urges Japan to be cautious in developing missile defense system

(Baonghean.vn)- On May 25, China urged Japan to act cautiously after government and defense industry sources in Tokyo announced that American and Japanese companies are cooperating to develop a new missile defense radar system.

Japan Self-Defense Forces soldiers stand in front of a PAC-3 air defense system at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Tokyo. Photo: Reuters

Speaking at a monthly press conference, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said the issue of anti-missile defense is a matter related to security and strategic trust between countries, so it needs to be handled cautiously.

Mr. Nham emphasized: "Especially for historical reasons, Japan's relevant moves in the military and security fields always attract close attention from neighboring Asian countries and the international community."

“Japan needs to act cautiously on the anti-missile issue,” the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman added, without elaborating.

As Pyongyang develops advanced missiles capable of hitting any target in Japan, Tokyo is likely to invest in a land-based version of the Aegis defense system installed on warships in the Sea of ​​Japan.

Relations between China and Japan, the world's second and third largest economies, have been strained over a territorial dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea and Japan's history of wartime aggression.

China strongly opposes the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea, due to concerns that the device's radar system can monitor deep inside Chinese territory and affect the country's security.

Washington and Seoul assert that the THAAD deployment is only for defense against North Korean missile launches./.

Lan Ha

(According to Reuters)