Japan names 33 airports, ports to be upgraded for imminent war with China

 Japan names 33 airports, ports to be upgraded for imminent war with China

China, Taiwan emergency is focus of contingency planning
New Ishigaki Airport, on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa prefecture, is among the facilities slated to be expanded for possible military use under a plan the government is weighing for next year.

TOKYO -- Faced with growing security concerns in East Asia, and looking at potential military use of civilian infrastructure, the Japanese government has selected 33 airports and ports in 10 prefectures as candidates for expansion, Nikkei has learned.

The government will shortly begin discussions with prefectures and municipalities that manage the facilities to extend runways and expand docks, enabling the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Japan Coast Guard to evacuate citizens or deploy troops in an emergency.

The list of airports includes Yonaguni, New Ishigaki, Miyako, and Naha in Okinawa prefecture, as well as Kagoshima and Miyazaki in Kyushu, and Kochi in Shikoku. These locations could serve as bases from which the SDF could deploy troops and supply fuel and food in the event of a contingency in Taiwan.