Beijing has issued a sharp protest after Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro's confirmation Tokyo will station medium-range missiles on Yonaguni Island, just 70 miles from Taiwan.

"Japan's deployment of offensive weapons to southwest islands close to China's Taiwan is a deliberate move that creates regional tensions and stokes military rivalry," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference Monday.

"Given Prime Minister [Sanae] Taichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan, this move is extremely dangerous. Neighboring countries and the world should be on high alert," she went on.

This is a developing story.

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