The Defense Ministry is considering exports ?of surface-to-ship missiles to the Philippines, local media reported Friday, as Tokyo adopts a more assertive regional security role amid concern about China.

Japan last month unveiled its biggest overhaul ?of defense export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions ?on overseas ?arms sales and opening the way for exports ?of warships, missiles and other weapons.

Beijing has expressed its displeasure about Tokyo's new efforts in defense, with bilateral relations ?at a particularly low ebb since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in ?November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.

On Thursday, ?Chinese leader Xi Jinping ?also warned U.S. President Donald Trump at a closely watched summit that mishandling the countries' ?disagreements over ?Taiwan could push China-U.S. relations to a "dangerous place."

Japan ?has previously said that it is looking ?at the ?early supply of Abukuma-class destroyer escorts and TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters Friday that "nothing has been decided at this point," regarding the possible missile export.

A spokesperson for the Philippine Defense ?Department noted that the two countries have agreed to discuss the sale of defense assets.

The Self-Defense Forces fired Type 88 anti-ship missiles during a joint maritime exercise with U.S., ?Australian, and ?Philippine forces this month.

The Philippines, together with ?Japan's southwestern island chain, forms part of what military planners ?call the "first island chain," a string of islands that hems in China's access from its coastal waters to the Western Pacific.

Other countries such as Indonesia and ?Poland are exploring procurement opportunities from Japan as they modernize their forces, Japanese officials and foreign diplomats have said.