China criticises Japan's missile deployment near Taiwan

China called Japan's plan to deploy missiles on an island near Taiwan a deliberate attempt to "create regional tension and provoke military confrontation" on Monday, as a diplomatic dispute simmers between the two nations.

1news.media citing Reuters, reports that the remarks come amid their worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

"Right-wing forces in Japan are... leading Japan and the region toward disaster," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing.

Beijing "is determined and capable of safeguarding its national territorial sovereignty," she added.

The comments followed Sunday's remarks by Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi that plans were "steadily moving forward" to deploy a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit at a military base on Yonaguni, an island about 110 km (68 miles) off Taiwan's east coast.

"The move is extremely dangerous and should raise serious concerns among nearby countries and the international community," Mao said on Monday, especially in the context of Takaichi's earlier remarks.