Why Japan’s hypersonic and underwater weapon plans might worry China

In its latest swipe at Tokyo’s military build-up, China singled out Japan’s plans to arm its submarine drones with long-range missiles and test hypersonic weapons in Australia. Analysts say those moves could threaten People’s Liberation Army amphibious groups and surface combatants within the “first island chain” – potentially affecting the PLA Navy’s ability to operate in the event of a Taiwan conflict. The strategically important first island chain stretches from Japan to Taiwan, the...