Nikkei Asia:

Japan’s plans to ramp up the defense of its remote southwestern islands are being seen as a move to boost support for Taiwan as it faces a heightened Chinese military threat.

The move to station anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles and hundreds of troops on Ishigaki island, 300 kilometers from Taiwan, comes amid a growing Chinese naval presence in the area and tensions between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan and a host of other issues.

Analysts say the plan is aimed as much at defending Taiwan as Japan, as any attack on the democratic island could quickly spread to Japan’s southern islands — Tokyo’s front line of defense…

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