Five missiles fired by China landed within Japan's exclusive economic one, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday, citing a Japanese foreign ministry official.

"Japan lodged a stern protest against China," the official added and noted that this is the first time Chinese ballistic missiles have landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, Taiwan urged China to be rational and restrain itself. "China's heightened military threats have unilaterally damaged the status quo and stability of the Indo-Pacific region," the island's presidential office said in a post on its official Facebook account.

Market reaction

US stock index futures showed no immediate reaction to this report and were last seen posting small daily gains.