Aug 04 (NHK) - Tokyo has lodged a protest with Beijing, after multiple Chinese ballistic missiles landed within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, amid large-scale military drills.
It's believed to be the first time that projectiles fired by China have fallen inside of the Japanese EEZ.
Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo said, "China appears to have launched nine ballistic missiles. Five of them are believed to have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. We strongly condemn the act, as it is a serious issue concerning Japan's security and the safety of Japanese people."
Kishi told reporters that China launched the ballistic missiles Thursday afternoon, Japan time. There were no immediate reports of any damage caused by the event.
Kishi also said that Japan's defense ministry and the Self-Defense Forces are still working to gather information and monitor the situation.
The launches appear to be part of large-scale military exercises being held in the skies and waters surrounding Taiwan.