The missiles will be existing weapons modified to extend their range from 100 km (62 miles) to 1,000 km, the newspaper said, citing government sources. The weapons, which will be launched from ships or aircraft, will be mainly stationed around the southern Nansei Islands and will be able to reach the coastal areas of North Korea and China, Yomiuri said. Spokesmen for Japan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Japan, which interprets its postwar constitution to mean it can only use its military for self-defense, has stepped up military spending and adopted a more assertive strategy in recent years. However, it has refrained from developing long-range missiles, among its limits for weapons that can hit targets on foreign soil. Regional tensions escalated this month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which is self-ruled but claimed by China. Beijing has fired missiles near Taiwan and Japan’s exclusive economic zone. (Reporting by Rocky Swift in Tokyo; Editing by William Mallard)
