Japan's Defense Ministry says it will review its rules over the use of force in relation to any future violations of the country's airspace by a foreign balloon. The present rules limit the use of force in response to airspace violations to self-defense or acts of necessity.

The plan was announced at a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday.

A balloon is considered an aircraft under international law. Japan's Self-Defense Forces law stipulates that necessary measures can be taken in response to a foreign aircraft making unauthorized entry into Japan's airspace as the act is judged as an intrusion.

Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu earlier hinted that the government will not rule out shooting down such foreign balloons.

The meeting discussed the ministry's announcement on Tuesday that unidentified objects spotted in Japan's airspace in recent years are strongly suspected to have been Chinese spy balloons.

Some of the meeting's participants said that spy balloons should be shot down. Others also said the government should consider the use of force against such unmanned aircraft.

The LDP plans to discuss whether to use force in handling Chinese spy balloons in the future, based on the review of relevant rules by the Defense Ministry.