According to a recent report in the Sankei newspaper, the United States has proposed the deployment of medium-range missiles in Japan as part of its efforts to fortify its defenses against China in the East and South China Seas.

The newspaper stated that the deployment might include long-range hypersonic weapons and Tomahawk missiles for US forces based in Japan. Tokyo is reportedly considering starting serious discussions about accepting this deployment.

The exact location for the deployment has yet to be determined, but the Sankei mentioned that Japan is eyeing the southern island of Kyushu as a potential site.

This comes as Japan and the US are looking to reinforce the islands located between the East China Sea and the Western Pacific, which are close to Taiwan and form part of the “First Island Chain” stretching down to Indonesia. These islands play a crucial role in hemming in China’s military forces.