Exclusive - Japan, U.S. discussing offensive military capability for Tokyo: Japan officials

Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers ride on a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (Humvee) during an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji training field in Gotemba, west of Tokyo, August 19, 2014. REUTERS/Yuya Shino

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States are exploring the possibility of Tokyo acquiring offensive weapons that would allow Japan to project power far beyond its borders, Japanese officials said, a move that would likely infuriate China.

While Japan's intensifying rivalry with China dominates the headlines, Tokyo's focus would be the ability to take out North Korean missile bases, said three Japanese officials involved in the process.