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.

The Ishigaki City assembly in Okinawa prefecture, southern Japan, has passed a bill to change the name of an administrative area covering the Senkaku Islands to include the name "Senkaku."

Japan controls the islands. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.