China's Defense Ministry stated on Thursday that Japan will pay a 'heavy price' if it crosses the 'red line' regarding Taiwan, in response to Japan's plans to deploy missiles on an island about 100 kilometers from the coast of Taiwan. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koyasuji said on Sunday that the plans are 'moving forward steadily' to deploy a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit at a military base in Yonaguni, an island about 110 kilometers off the coast. These statements come amid the worst diplomatic dispute between the two countries in years, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takayashi said that any Chinese attack on Taiwan could reach a 'threat to existence' level and would prompt Tokyo to respond militarily.
