Japan is confronting significant challenges in preparing to safeguard the residents of the Sakishima island chain in Okinawa Prefecture amid growing concerns over China possibly invading Taiwan.
If a contingency appears imminent, the central government plans to evacuate approximately 120,000 people to the Kyushu region and nearby Yamaguchi Prefecture, but there are many issues to be addressed, such as securing adequate transportation.
The government has started mapping out a full-scale response as Beijing exhibits increasingly assertive behavior in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.