Okinawan City Changes Name Of Senkaku Islands
A city in Japan's southern prefecture has passed a bill to change the administrative name of a group of islands under its authority to officially include the name "Senkaku" for the first time.
The move is drawing criticism from China and Taiwan, which both claim the territory as their own.
On Monday, the Ishigaki City assembly in Okinawa passed the bill to change the name from the current "Tonoshiro" to "Tonoshiro Senkaku" from October.
The assembly says it wants to avoid mistakes in administrative work, as other locations in the city share the name "Tonoshiro."
Japan and its neighbors have been at odds over the group of islands in the East China Sea.
Japan controls the islands. The Japanese government maintains they are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.
The move comes at a time when Chinese coast guard vessels have been repeatedly intruding into Japan's territorial waters near the islands.
On Monday, Japanese officials spotted four Chinese ships in the area and warned them to move out of the waters.
Officials in Beijing reacted sharply to Ishigaki's decision.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, "Japan's move to change the name of the islands is a serious provocation against China's territorial claims. It's illegal and invalid."
Taiwan's government also issued a statement, saying the islands are under Taiwan's sovereignty, which cannot be changed by any unilateral action.
