According to Japanese media reports, the Philippines has signalled interest in buying the system as part of efforts to strengthen its military defences.

China’s irritation stems partly from the symbolic importance of the Type 03 system. Japan plans to deploy the same missiles to the island of Yonaguni, situated only 110km from Taiwan . Beijing condemned that deployment last month as “extremely dangerous,” accusing Tokyo of fuelling regional confrontation.

The talks with Manila come as Japan’s government moves to rewrite its Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology, rules that for decades restricted weapons exports to avoid becoming involved in international conflict. 

The proposed revision, which could be approved next year, would allow Tokyo to export a broader range of military hardware beyond the current non-combat categories such as rescue and surveillance equipment.

Strategically, the Philippines occupies a key position along the so-called First Island Chain, which stretches down the western Pacific, close to Taiwan and bordering the contested South China Sea, where China and the Philippines frequently clash. 

Any increase in Philippine air-defence capability is therefore closely watched in Beijing, which sees such strengthening as part of a broader containment effort led by the United States and its allies.

Japan and the Philippines have rapidly deepened their defence cooperation in recent months. The two US treaty allies signed a new defence pact in September allowing Japanese troops to deploy to Philippine territory for the first time since the Second World War. 

Additionally, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to raise defence spending to 2% of GDP by March next year — faster than earlier plans — and Japan has already exported domestically made Patriot missile interceptors to the US, a move that Chinese commentators have called another “dangerous signal.”

Beijing has long accused Japan’s political right of seeking to rewrite its pacifist constitution and normalise the military. For Japan and the Philippines, however, supporters argue that growing cooperation is a defensive response to China’s increasingly assertive behaviour in surrounding seas.

“This development is extremely dangerous and warrants high vigilance from neighbouring countries and the international community,” Mao warned.

She argued that Japanese political factions are deliberately pushing beyond the limits of the nation’s post-war Peace Constitution.

“Japanese right-wing forces are striving to break free from the constraints of the Peace Constitution, venturing further down the path of militarism and reckless expansion, leading Japan and the region towards disaster,” she said.

China also confirmed it has postponed a planned trilateral summit between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), saying the political conditions required for the meeting have collapsed.

Mao pointed to recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan as a major contributing factor.

“Japanese leaders have openly made erroneous remarks on the Taiwan issue, undermining the foundation and atmosphere for trilateral cooperation,” she stated. “The conditions for holding the Leaders’ Meeting are currently unfeasible.”

Beijing signalled it will now take the issue to the United Nations , accusing Japan of undermining the One-China principle.

“If Japan merely repeats that its position has not changed while remaining vague on specifics, and continuously oversteps boundaries in its actions, then such reiteration is nothing but empty words,” Mao said.

The diplomatic row has already seeped into daily life, prompting travel warnings and leading to thousands of cancelled flights on both sides as relations deteriorate further.

At least two shows in Beijing, three in Shanghai and two in Guangzhou have been called off, according to organisers. A Guangzhou event featuring members of the Japanese group JO1 was cancelled on Monday, citing “force majeure.”

Shanghai also scrapped a three-day comedy festival involving a dozen Japanese performers two days before its scheduled opening. The reasons given matched those used for other cancellations.

Two Japanese film releases have been postponed. The comedy “Cells at Work!” will no longer debut on Saturday as planned, and “Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers” has been delayed from its early December release.

The disruptions come despite the strong following for Japanese animation, comics, films and drama among Chinese audiences. 

The cancellations began after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could deploy its military in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict. Beijing condemned the remarks as “a blatant interference in China’s internal affairs.”

Diplomatic dialogue has also been affected. The annual Beijing-Tokyo Forum, set for this weekend in Beijing, has been postponed, with China saying Takaichi’s comments had “poisoned public opinion.”

Uncertainty has now spread among consumers, with some worried that more upcoming events and releases could be withdrawn. Fans say the climate has become tense, even as others argue cultural exchanges should remain separate from politics .