Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 1

TOKYO -- The Japanese government on Monday designated five airports and 11 seaports to be upgraded for possible use by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Japan Coast Guard, local media reported.

The plan was approved by related government ministers and starts in the current fiscal year through next March, with a 37 billion yen (244 million U.S. dollars) budget earmarked for the first year, Kyodo News reported