Hiroshima [Japan], April 7 : Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani on Sunday expressed commitment to enhancing the transport capabilities of the Self-Defense Forces for remote southern islands via a newly established unit focused on maritime logistics amid rising tensions over the Taiwan Strait, as reported by Kyodo News.
"The unit will facilitate quicker and more secure troop deployments," Nakatani stated during a ceremony in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, commemorating the establishment of the Maritime Transportation Group, which was formed on March 24 and is located in the city, Kyodo News reported.
The group, which operates under the direct control of Japan's Defence Minister, comprises approximately 100 personnel. It aims to acquire 10 transport vessels by March 2028, with two already constructed, according to the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). The captains of the two ships are members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, while most other crew members are from the Ground Self-Defense Force, with training support provided by the MSDF.
Nakatani said, "It is a historically significant milestone that we established the new unit with collaboration between the GSDF and the MSDF." Japan's action comes as China intensifies its pressure on Taiwan, a democratic island self-governed but claimed by Beijing, which has not dismissed the possibility of using force to assert control over it, according to Kyodo News.
Taiwan is regarded as a potential military flashpoint that could involve the United States in a conflict with China, posing serious security risks for Japan, a key ally of the U.S., due to the proximity of its distant islands, including the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing, as reported by Kyodo News.
China continuously asserts Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, strengthening its military capabilities with the possibility of forcibly seizing the island. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), operates its own government, military, and economy, functioning as a de facto independent state.
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