Security Concerns Raised as China-backed Company Builds Massive Solar Power Plant near US and Japan Military Bases
A Shanghai company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is constructing large-scale solar power plants near the prominent U.S. military base in Iwakuni, Japan. The city council member has expressed concerns about the CCP’s involvement, citing national security threats. One solar power plant is located in Miwa-cho, Iwakuni city, to the north of the base, while the other is situated in Yanai city to the south. The Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is crucial for both the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The council member has emphasized the regional and national security problems that arise from the CCP’s involvement in the construction of these solar power plants near military bases. The Shanghai Electric Power, an affiliate of the state-owned China Power Investment Corporation, is responsible for the projects. The company’s official website states that their overseas businesses in countries like Japan fall under the CCP’s “Belt and Road” initiative. In September 2021, Shanghai Electric Power acquired the entire equity of the Yamaguchi Iwakuni photovoltaic project. This project, expected to be connected to the grid in June 2023, aims to install 300,000 solar panels and generate 75 megawatts of power. The construction has faced opposition from local residents who fear environmental damage. The council member has tried to communicate with Shanghai Electric Power’s Japan office to discuss the concerns but has been unsuccessful. Additionally, Chinese buyers have displayed interest in acquiring land near military bases, including an island called Kasashima in Iwakuni. This island, along with the two solar power plants, has raised suspicions about the strategic motives of the Chinese. The council member believes that these acquisitions could provide the CCP with access to U.S. and Japanese military intelligence and activities. Concerns have also been raised about the solar power plants interfering with the flight patterns of U.S. fighter jets in Iwakuni, as they are located directly below their flight path. Given the significance of the Iwakuni base in the U.S.-Japanese military cooperation against the CCP, controlling the surrounding power generation facilities and land could have strategic implications for the CCP’s espionage and interference activities.
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