Japan is planning to deploy long-range missiles on its southern island of Kyushu due to concerns over the Trump administration's stance on security agreements and regional tensions, writes The Guardian.

The missiles, with a range of about 1,000 km, will be capable of hitting targets in North Korea and coastal regions of China. They will be deployed next year at two bases with existing missile garrisons, strengthening the defenses of the Okinawa island chain and forming part of Japan's development of "counter-strike capabilities" in the event of an attack.

To avoid provoking China, the missiles are not expected to be deployed on the Okinawa islands, which are just 110 km from Taiwan. Following the growing threat from China and North Korea, Japan is looking to strengthen its weapons systems.

President Donald Trump criticized the Japan-US security agreement, saying it is not reciprocal and emphasizing that Japan benefits greatly economically from the relationship, reports KosovaPress.

Shimada, a professor at Fukui Prefectural University, believes that proactive measures, such as developing more advanced missile systems, will strengthen US-Japan ties and that the Trump administration's demands for mutual defense agreements are not unreasonable. However, Dujarric of Temple University stresses that it is worrying that the US-Japan alliance is in crisis, and Trump's stances could undermine commitments to old agreements.

Two Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) bases in Kyushu are considering deploying new missiles, which are expected to be improved versions of surface-to-sea guided missiles.