Mon Nov 25 20:00:00 UTC 2024: ## US Planning Military Deployments in Japan and Philippines Amid Taiwan Tensions

**Tokyo, November 26, 2024** – The United States is developing contingency plans for military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in response to a potential emergency involving Taiwan, according to Japan’s Kyodo News agency. These plans, to be finalized in a joint operation plan this December, involve deploying a US Marine regiment equipped with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Japan’s Nansei Islands. These islands, stretching from Kyushu to Yonaguni near Taiwan, would serve as temporary bases in the event of a Taiwan contingency. The Japanese military would provide logistical support. Simultaneously, the US Army plans to deploy Multi-Domain Task Force long-range fire units in the Philippines.

While the Japanese and Philippine defense ministries have yet to comment, the US embassy in Manila declined to comment. China’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the reported plans, reiterating its claim that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of China’s territory” and opposing any actions that increase regional military deployments and tensions. The deployment plans come amid escalating tensions in the region, with China strengthening its military and increasing pressure on Taiwan, and the US bolstering alliances and conducting regular deployments in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.

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