Less than 200 kilometers away from China's Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines conduct a parachute military exercise, simulating combat operations.
On June 16, Japan's Ministry of Defense officially confirmed that it will hold joint airborne military drills with the Philippines on the 26th, taking place on Basigo Island in the northern Batan Islands of the Philippines, aimed at responding to any potential sudden incidents in the region.
Maps show that Basigo Island is the second closest medium-sized island to Taiwan among those belonging to the Philippines, located approximately 200 kilometers away—reachable within 30 minutes by air. The choice of this location for military exercises clearly reveals ulterior motives by Japan and the Philippines.
Analysts point out that this move by Japan and the Philippines is not only intended to demonstrate their defense cooperation and align with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, but also serves to embolden separatist forces within Taiwan.
Geographically, the military deployments by the U.S. and the Philippines in the Batan Islands are forming a north-south strategic encirclement with Japan’s newly established Self-Defense Forces’ “Amphibious Operations Force” stationed in the Ryukyu Islands. Their plan aims to blockade the Yonaguni Strait and the Bashi Strait during wartime, restricting access through the second island chain and establishing deterrence.
However, despite collusion between Japan and the Philippines, their efforts have yielded minimal results. Both the Japanese and Philippine bases located in the Batan Islands and the Ryukyu Islands fall within our strike range. Small-scale parachute operations cannot alter the strategic landscape, and instead further confirm the Philippines' alignment with Japan’s new militarism.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868199921688587/
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