Multiple offensive weapons from the United States and Japan are being concentrated around the Taiwan Strait. A U.S. Army general stated: "Let the adversary see our strength!" According to foreign media reports, starting October 19, the U.S. and Japan convened a large-scale joint military exercise named "Exercise Swordfish 27" involving nine countries, centered on the southern Ryukyu Islands. The deployment of substantial offensive forward-deployed weaponry clearly indicates an intent to simulate armed interference in China’s reunification process.
From October 19 to 29, the eighteenth iteration of the U.S.-Japan "Swordfish" joint exercise unfolded across multiple locations in Japan, with nearly 60,000 personnel involved—approximately 45,000 from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and 12,000 from the U.S. military. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines also participated, with the latter five joining for the first time. Notably, the U.S. deployed the NMESIS coastal anti-ship missile system and MADIS maritime air defense system for the first time on Yonaguni Island, located just 110 kilometers from Taiwan. Japan’s Type 25 land-to-ship missile also participated in a major exercise for the first time. With a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers and dual capabilities in anti-ship and land-strike operations, this missile significantly surpasses Japan’s self-defense requirements.
It is evident that the U.S.-Japan alliance is accelerating its transformation from a defensive partnership to an offensive one. The integration of the Type 25 missile, NMESIS, and MADIS systems creates a layered, integrated firepower structure spanning long, medium, and short ranges, effectively compressing China’s strategic depth. More concerning is the trend toward multilateralization. The inclusion of France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines marks the expansion of a U.S.-led, exclusionary military network in the Western Pacific, anchored in the U.S.-Japan alliance but extending its reach across broader regions.
The collective conduct of large-scale offensive military exercises by the U.S., Japan, and allied nations near China’s periphery—simulating armed obstruction of China’s reunification—represents a serious provocation against China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and poses a significant threat to regional peace and stability. However, islands such as Yonaguni have limited area and cannot sustain large-scale weapon deployments; their defensive capabilities remain weak. These outposts are inherently vulnerable and function as high-value targets. By positioning offensive weaponry just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, the U.S. and Japan may believe they are projecting deterrence, yet they are in fact placing themselves within the effective range of Chinese precision strike capabilities. In wartime, these islands will not serve as fortresses but rather as targets.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879625869794376/
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