Missiles will be sent to Japan's southwestern islands and the Philippines in the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait.

The rocket launcher system will be dispatched with a US Marine regiment along part of the strategic ‘first island chain’.

As the world fixates on the South China Sea, Chinese describe Taiwan as the regional key.

IN various war games conducted by defense think tanks, including those based in the United States, the Philippines emerges as a pivotal player in scenarios centered on the First Island Chain.

The deployment of the carrier might explain the increase in Chinese military aircraft activity in airspace south of Taiwan since Sunday.