Japan and the U.S. are exploring Tokyo's acquisition of offensive military weapons to allow Japan to increase its power even beyond its territory, Japanese officials said.

The military discussion between Japan and the U.S. would most likely irk China, which is one of Japan's most intense territorial rivals in the Asian region, based on an exclusive report by Reuters.

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Tokyo, however, would put more focus on using the weapon boost to destroy missile bases in North Korea, said three Japanese officials familiar with the discussions.

In recent years, Pyongyang has beefed up its ballistic missile systems and launched three nuclear tests. One of Japan's motivations for improving its military capabilities is its suspicion that the U.S. and South Korea might hesitate to launch an offensive against North Korea if a crisis erupts, according to Japanese experts cited by the report.

Former Japanese national security adviser Narushige Michishita said the U.S. might hold off an attack if South Korea would not want tensions to escalate. However, the present security guidelines obligate the U.S. to provide Japan with the intelligence and forces they need for a strike if a ballistic missile attack is launched.

The discussion with Washington about military capabilities, which was not disclosed until now, is significant because Japan has not launched a single shot in retaliation since it was defeated in World War Two, the officials explained.

Increasing Japan's military offensive capability would also mean reforming the country's military doctrine, which is purely defensive at present. The change could allow Tokyo to acquire billions of dollars' worth of offensive missile hardware, according to defense experts cited by Reuters.

Japan's military arsenal is already robust, but it is limited by its pacifist Constitution. Tokyo is planning to purchase 42 advanced stealth fighter jets to add to its dozens of warships, 16 submarines and three helicopter carriers.

One of the reasons why the U.S. is still carefully considering the idea is because it could infuriate China, which alleges that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to revive militarism, according to the said officials.

Japan wishes to arrive at a conclusion in five years before they can start buying more military hardware, one of the officials added.

The U.S., however, wanted to conduct separate talks on offensive capabilities to avoid igniting the rage in China and South Korea, one official said. Tokyo is currently embroiled in territorial spats with Beijing and South Korea.

TagsU.S., military offensive