Japan's rapid military build-up a worry for Okinawans, governor says

20/9/2023 19:16

        Japan's rapid military build-up is worrying residents of the Okinawa islands close to Taiwan, their governor said Thursday, further straining already fraught ties between the region and the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
        
        Kishida unveiled a plan in December to double Japan's defence spending over five years in a bid to deter China from using military force against Taiwan that could also threaten its territory.
        
        Much of that build-up will be in Okinawa, which has been at odds with the central government for decades for allowing a heavy U.S. military presence there.
        
        Up to a third of Okinawans died in that conflict, some at the hands of Japanese troops, during a bloody U.S. campaign to take the islands, leaving a lingering resentment against Tokyo.