Five ballistic missiles fired by China as part of military exercises that began today probably landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.

The military drills, the largest ever conducted by China in the Taiwan Strait, today included striking targets in waters north, south and east of Taiwan Island.

The maneuvers generated the most serious tension in the region in a quarter of a century.

"For the first time, Chinese missiles have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone," Kishi told reporters.

"We have already expressed a categorical protest through our diplomatic channels," he added.

Chinese missiles have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone

The economic zone extends two hundred nautical miles from the outer limits of Japanese territorial waters.

Over the years, North Korean missiles have repeatedly landed in various locations in this area, including during a series of launches during the year.

The Chinese exercises come just two days after a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - the highest-ranking visit by a US representative to the island in twenty-five years - and just hours after China announced today that it was canceling a planned a meeting between its foreign minister and his Japanese counterpart, unhappy with a G7 statement calling for a peaceful settlement of the issues causing tension between Beijing and Taiwan.