Japan weighs military upgrade on Iwo Jima amid growing Chinese presence in Pacific

Japan is considering a significant expansion of its military presence on Iwoto – the island south of Tokyo better known as Iwo Jima and the site of one of World War II’s fiercest battles – as it responds to growing Chinese activity in the Pacific Ocean.The Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday that the defence ministry planned to strengthen its presence on the volcanic island, about 1,207km south of the Japanese capital. Analysts say the aim is to bolster the economic and military security of the country’s land and sea territories.“Iwoto is in a very important position in the Pacific because it helps give Japan a large exclusive economic zone and is important to the economic development of the region,” said Masayuki Masuda, director of Chinese studies at the Ministry of Defence’s National Institute for Defence Studies in Tokyo.Japan’s interest in the waters around its remote Pacific islands has sharpened in recent months as it explores the potential for rare earth resources on the seabed.The deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu in February recovered seabed mud from a depth of 5,500 metres in waters close to Minamitorishima, Japan’s easternmost island, which lies some 1,267km east of Iwoto.Experts from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology hope the samples contain significant quantities of rare earth minerals that are essential for advanced Japanese industries.