On Friday, May 17th, US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, visited Yonaguni Island, which is close to Taiwan. As tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait, the US and Japan have been preparing to respond jointly to any potential crisis involving Taiwan.
The 16th President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Lai Ching-te, is set to take office on May 20th. Ahead of the presidential inauguration, the Chinese Communist authorities have intensified pressure near the Taiwan Strait. In response to the escalating situation in the Taiwan Strait, the US and Japan are enhancing defense measures on islands in southwestern Japan.
Yonaguni Island is Japan’s westernmost territory, located 160 kilometers from Taipei and 2000 kilometers from Tokyo. It is administratively part of Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture. The island is one of the remote islands emphasized under Japan’s Defense Ministry’s “Southwest Shift” policy. This policy aims to strengthen Japan’s defense capabilities in light of the increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Ambassador Emanuel wrote on social media, “I may be the first US Ambassador to visit Yonaguni Island, but I am not expected to be the last.” He mentioned that during his visit, he discussed “economic opportunities related to the safety of Japan’s westernmost islands” with Yonaguni Town Mayor, Kenichi Itokazu.
Emanuel also shared a photo of himself having lunch with Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force personnel on Yonaguni Island.
In a tweet, Emanuel stated, “Having lunch and chatting with diligent Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force personnel at the Yonaguni Island camp – maintaining the strong US-Japan alliance.”
The US Embassy in Tokyo stated that Ambassador Emanuel’s visit partly utilized US military aircraft. It was reported that Emanuel flew on a US Marine Corps aircraft that landed at Yonaguni Airport.
The Embassy mentioned that Emanuel would also visit Ishigaki, which is closer to Okinawa Island. This marks the first visit by a US Ambassador to Yonaguni Island and the first visit to Ishigaki in 25 years.
On May 16th, a day before Emanuel’s visit to Okinawa, the USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76 aircraft carrier left Yokosuka in southern Tokyo. During the ceremony, Emanuel remarked that “Japan is the only country where the US deploys this type of aircraft carrier overseas,” emphasizing the close ties between the US military and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
At the ceremony, Rear Admiral Gregory Newkirk, commander of the Fifth Carrier Strike Group, highlighted the role of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, stating that it represents the US commitment to Japan and the entire region, as well as the joint vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
In 2008, the USS Washington nuclear-powered aircraft carrier became the first of its kind deployed to Japan and is set to return to Yokosuka this year. Emanuel indicated that having aircraft carriers in Yokosuka allows for quick rotation, a crucial deterrent against any attempts to alter the regional status quo through force.
In 2016, the Japan Self-Defense Forces established a base on Yonaguni Island. Last year, bilateral field exercises were conducted there by the US and Japan. The Self-Defense Forces are currently enhancing the camp’s defense capabilities through deploying surface-to-air missiles and other measures.
According to reports, the USS Peralta Arleigh Burke-class destroyer visited Ishigaki Island for the first time in March this year, with another US Navy ship visiting in September.
In 2023, Japan established a base on Ishigaki Island. The then Japanese Defense Minister, Yaichi Hamada, mentioned that the Ishigaki base was part of Japan’s plan to enhance its presence along the southwest coast.
In Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy, the government outlined plans to develop evacuation strategies to swiftly evacuate residents, including those in the southwest region, in the event of an armed attack.
(Information referenced from Nikkei News)