What does the US Himars deployment to southern Japan mean for China?

The United States plans to deploy the US Marine Littoral Regiment equipped with a Himars rocket launcher system along the Nansei Islands close to Taiwan, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Monday.

The deployment in the archipelago also known as the Ryukus will be part of a US-Japan operation plan to address a Taiwan contingency, sources told Kyodo.

The contingency plan would also include installation of US long-range missile units in the Philippines, the report said.

The Nanseis extend from the southernmost part of the Japanese mainland towards Taiwan and host a major US military base in Okinawa.

They are part of the “first island chain” – a series of islands serving as a defensive line against China, stretching from Japan, through Taiwan, and down to the Philippines.