Typhoon Podul, the 11th typhoon of the year, made landfall in China's Taiwan region on Wednesday afternoon, as coastal regions on the Chinese mainland are bracing for its expected impact later in the day.
Warnings had earlier been issued across Taiwan as the typhoon approached, with China's National Meteorological Center recording peak wind speeds of 35 meters per second at its center, while some forecasts predicted it would later pack winds of up to 50 meters per second, classing it as a severe typhoon.
After crossing Taiwan Island and entering the Taiwan Strait, Podul is expected to weaken and make a second landfall on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning along coastal areas of east China's Fujian and the southern Guangdong Province.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated emergency response measures for flood and typhoon prevention in Fujian and Guangdong on Tuesday afternoon, while China's Ministry of Natural Resources also launched emergency response protocol for geological disaster prevention and marine disaster response as the typhoon nears.
The typhoon also forced the closure of numerous scenic areas and the temporary suspension of offshore construction projects and railway maintenance work in areas deemed at risk.
Parks and scenic spots across the Taiwan region began closing on Tuesday, while many businesses such as restaurants also took precautionary measures such as erecting temporary barriers to protect from the strong winds.
In Fujian, the majority of offshore construction projects have been suspended, while over 200 construction vessels were relocated to safe areas by 15:00 on Tuesday.
Local maritime safety authorities in Fujian have also carried out inspections on ships docked at ports, urging them to prepare for the possible impact of the incoming storm.
The imminent arrival of the typhoon is also set to impact on transportation, with ticket sales for some passenger trains and high-speed railways being suspended by the China Railway Nanchang Group and China Railway Guangzhou Group.
Tropical storm Podul makes landfall in Taiwan
Tropical storm Podul makes landfall in Taiwan
Japan should stop military expansion and avoid turning itself into a "missile archipelago," said a Japanese peace advocate living in Shizuoka Prefecture who is opposed to the government's decision to deploy new missiles in the region.
As a native in Shizuoka, 73-yera-old Kiichi Watanabe said people's daily lives have long been disturbed by the military training at the Camp Fuji of Ground Self-Defense Force in the region.
"At worse moments, military exercises can last for days in a row, running from 07:00 to 22:00. The equipment used in the exercises is also changing. Although the information released to the public isn't very detailed, we still could see that weapons like mortars and howitzers are used, including hand-held mortars. Trainings involving drones are also on the rise. They use Osprey transport aircraft disregarding regulations and would even arbitrarily fly them as low as 60 meters above ground. Such dangerous hidden hazards have already triggered accidents in many parts of Japan," said Watanabe.
Japan's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities have been brought into service for the first time at two Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) bases in the country.
The deployment of the missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, and Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, marks a major shift from the country's long-standing exclusively defense-oriented policy under its war-renouncing Constitution, according to Kyodo News.
"Once missiles are deployed, a country attacked by them will certainly retaliate and fire back here. If someone says deploying missiles at Camp Fuji is a good thing, then Japan will become a 'missile archipelago' with missiles deployed everywhere. Just as it is in the initial stage of missile deployment, if we fail to voice our opposition and our call to halt it, then it means acquiescence, right? So I think the first step is the most important," said Watanabe.
For decades, Watanabe and many local residents have opposed the expansion of military forces at the Camp Fuji and the adjacent East Fuji Maneuver Area, but they have been frustrated to find that military exercises have not decreased, while armaments have increased day by day.
"When the trainings become intensely realistic, making it feel like 'training to kill,' it truly makes one furious. So, we must not let such trainings go on. No matter what, we must not let this place become a base for war. We should get along well with China and live in harmony with all Asian nations. I wish the word 'war' would not appear any more," said Watanabe.
Japan shouldn't become "missile archipelago": peace advocate
