Japan's deputy defense minister sees an increased threat from China.
The country's state minister of defense, Yasuhide Nakayama, said neighboring countries could see more frequent incursions as China becomes more emboldened by its growing military capabilities. Nakayama said China was already building more long-range missiles and it could use them to attack the country and its allies.
"It's already possible for them to aim at the East Coast and the White House," Nakayama said Tuesday during a talk with the Washington-based Hudson Institute.
Nakayama showed a map that showed the range of China's recently developed JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles. The talk was aimed at encouraging the country - a longtime U.S. ally - to boost its defense spending to help counter the growing threat from China.
While discussing suggestions on Japan's military stance, Nakayama also talked about China's continued claims over the South China Sea. He also discussed Taiwan's sovereignty and China's incursions into its territory.
"We are not friends of Taiwan, we are brothers," Nakayama said.
Last month, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Japan is planning to increase its military spending as a response to the growing threat from China. He said the government is planning to go beyond its traditional limit of just 1% of its total gross domestic product.
In response, China accuses Japan of starting an "arms race." Chinese officials also slammed Japan for interfering in its internal affairs after it announced that protecting Taiwan's sovereignty was a national priority.
Nakayama reiterated the importance of protecting Taiwan's sovereignty during his talk. He called on the nation to "wake up" to the growing pressure China is placing on its neighbor.
"So we have to protect Taiwan as a democratic country. So wake up. We have to wake up," Nakayama said.
Nakayama said the geographical proximity of Taiwan means that if something were to happen to the island nation, Japan's Okinawa prefecture would be affected. The nation's southernmost island is home to a military facility where thousands of U.S. troops and their families are based.
