October 23, 2026

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The Japan-U.S. joint military exercise, “Keen Sword 27” (October 19-29), is currently underway mainly in Kyushu and Okinawa.

With about 45,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel and 12,000 U.S. servicemembers participating, Keen Sword 27 is the largest joint military exercise to date. Clearly, the exercise aims to contain and intimidate China in the event of a “Taiwan contingency”.

The long-range Type 25 surface-to-ship guided missile system, deployed for the first time in this exercise, reportedly has a range of approximately 1,000 km. These missiles are capable of reaching the coastal areas of mainland China and the waters around Taiwan even from Kyushu.

The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed its “NMESIS” surface-to-ship missiles and “MADIS” air defense system on Yonaguni Island, located about 110 km from Taiwan, for the first time. The NMESIS is said to have a range of about 200 km, covering a wide area around Taiwan.

Last November, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae suggested in the Diet that a “Taiwan contingency” would threaten Japan’s survival and justify the country’s use of the collective self-defense right.

Military training exercises simulating a contingency in Taiwan will only provoke China. Such drills further heighten regional tensions and accelerate a vicious cycle of arms buildups. They should be halted.