Deployment of Missile Defense System in Japan Amid Rising Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

Amid increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and mutual threats between North Korea and the President of the United States, Japanese media reported on Saturday, August 12, that a Patriot missile defense system has been deployed in the west of the country. This deployment follows North Korea's threat last week to launch ballistic missiles towards Guam, which would pass over Japan. Guam is a U.S. territory in the Pacific and home to one of the country's important military bases. The French news agency reported on Saturday, citing NHK, Japan's national television network, that Tokyo has stationed its Patriot missiles at three locations in the west of the country: Shimane, Hiroshima, and Kochi. The report also stated that Tokyo has deployed the Patriot missile defense system in the Ahime region as well. The French news agency noted that Japan had previously announced it would shoot down North Korean missiles that it assesses as a threat to its territory. The news of the new deployment of Patriot missiles in Japan was released shortly after the Presidents of the United States and China held a phone conversation on Saturday morning, calling for North Korea to cease its 'provocative and tension-raising behaviors.' According to a report from Chinese state television about the conversation between the two leaders, Xi Jinping, the President of China, called for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue and urged 'relevant parties' to refrain from 'words and actions' that escalate tensions. The UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions against North Korea last Saturday in response to its recent missile tests and efforts to produce nuclear weapons. Recently, Pyongyang tested a ballistic missile that U.S. military officials acknowledge could reach the state of Alaska. Meanwhile, the Washington Post has also published unconfirmed reports stating that North Korea has managed to produce a nuclear warhead for installation on a ballistic missile. A few days after the new UN sanctions, the European Union also announced new sanctions against North Korea, which include one of the banks belonging to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following the imposition of these sanctions, a dispute erupted between North Korean and U.S. leaders, which has intensified day by day and fueled tensions, to the extent that in the past two days, Russia and Germany have also attempted to intervene to reduce tensions. In Moscow, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, expressed 'deep concern' over the threats from both sides and urged Pyongyang and Washington to sign a 'joint Russia-China plan' that had not been previously reported. According to a Reuters report, under this plan, which neither side has shown interest in, North Korea would cease its missile tests, and in return, Washington and Seoul would also suspend military maneuvers until further notice. Meanwhile, Reuters, citing a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, promised that the annual joint military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea would begin as scheduled on August 21, less than ten days from now. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, emphasized on Friday in response to the escalating tensions between the U.S. and North Korea that this tension 'has no military solution' and that 'escalating the dispute is the wrong response' to the current issue. At the same time, Reuters reported that unnamed U.S. officials stated that Washington is considering imposing new sanctions targeting Chinese banks and companies that do business with Pyongyang. Based on the Reuters report, the Trump administration is currently not announcing these sanctions to see how serious Beijing is about enforcing the UN sanctions against North Korea. China is considered North Korea's most important trading partner and is also referred to as Pyongyang's main ally against the United States and its allies, namely South Korea and Japan. Nevertheless, neither China nor Russia opposed the new UN sanctions, which were approved following North Korea's intercontinental missile test.