(Tokyo) The United States is working on scenarios providing for military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in the event of a crisis linked to Taiwan, reported the Japanese agency Kyodo.
Posted at 11:49 p.m.
These scenarios will be integrated into a first joint operation plan to be developed in December, according to sources familiar with Japanese-American relations, Kyodo said Sunday evening.
A U.S. Marine regiment with a high-mobility, multiple-launch rocket artillery system will be deployed along the Nansei Islands, a chain of Japanese islands stretching from the southern tip of Kyushu to Yonaguni, near from Taiwan.
As soon as the possibility of a crisis involving Taiwan becomes imminent, temporary bases will be set up on inhabited islands, the agency adds.
The Japanese army should mainly engage in logistical support, in particular by providing fuel and ammunition, according to the same source.
Kyodo added that the US military would deploy long-range fire units from a detachment specializing in “multi-domain” operations to the Philippines.
The Japanese and Philippine defense ministries were not immediately available for comment. The US Embassy in Manila declined to comment, while the Chinese Embassy in Manila “took note” of the Kyodo article.
China is strengthening its military capabilities while increasing pressure on Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory.
Washington has strengthened its alliances in the region, irritating Beijing with the regular deployment of ships and fighter jets in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
