The Japanese newspaper "Japan Today" reported on its website on Saturday that Emanuel also visited the island of "Ishigaki", home to Japanese coast guard patrol boats defending the disputed islands in the East China Sea and Japanese fishermen from armed Chinese coast guard ships that routinely enter Japanese waters.
Emanuel is the first American ambassador to visit Yonaguni, where he traveled with the local city mayor, Kenichi Itohikazu, to Taiwan, just 110 kilometers away. Emanuel stated that the lives of Japanese fishermen were affected when five missiles launched by China hit the exclusive economic zone of Japan in 2022 after a visit by then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
Emanuel added from Ishigaki Island, the second island he visited on Friday, "If they do not have deterrence, things will be worse," referring to the fishermen in this area. He continued, "If you have very strong deterrence, it ensures peace and security, and ensures economic prosperity. Without it, it is likely to be a green light for those who want to use economic coercion and confrontation as the sole means of expression."
In Ishigaki, the Japanese coast guard protects fishing boats in the disputed waters around the islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea, which Tokyo calls the Senkaku Islands. Beijing also claims the islands, which it refers to as Diaoyu, and Chinese coast guard ships often confront their Japanese counterparts.
On the other hand, Yoshiyasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, welcomed the ambassador's trip to the islands, saying it was "meaningful" for the ambassador to improve his understanding of Tokyo's efforts to enhance its security in the southwestern region. Additional military units and missile defense systems are being deployed there.