Tokyo asked China to avoid missile route over Japan before launch: sources

TOKYO - Japan had asked China to avoid using a route for a submarine-launched ballistic missile that would pass over Japan's territory, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone before the missile was fired last week, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

China made no clear response to the request, forcing Japan to keep its guard up even after the missile was fired on July 6 from a nuclear-powered submarine on a different flight path from waters east of Hainan Island toward the South Pacific, the sources said.