The quiet Japanese island paradise on the frontline of growing Taiwan-China tensions

In the minds of many Japanese people, Yonaguni is a sleepy paradise of crystal-clear sea and pristine beaches, where miniature horses graze on clifftops and empty roads dissect fields of sugar cane; where tourists dive with hammerhead sharks and marvel at the Ayamihabiru - the world's largest Atlas moth. But this tiny island, located far closer to Taipei than Tokyo, now finds itself at the centre of regional tensions triggered by a new round of Chinese aggression towards Taiwan. On a clear day, it is possible to make out the coastline of Taiwan, located 110km (68 miles) from the westernmost…