Renaming of islands by Japan city decried

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned a move by Japan’s Ishigaki City to change the name of the Diaoyu Islands, calling it a “serious provocation on China’s territorial sovereignty.”

The Ishigaki Municipal Assembly on Monday approved a proposal to rename an “administrative area” containing the islands from “Tonoshiro” to “Tonoshiro Senkaku,” from October 1.

Japan’s broadcaster NHK said the name had been changed to avoid administrative mistakes as another location in Ishigaki City was also called Tonoshiro.

“The Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have always been an inherent part of Chinese territory, and China has unshakable will to protect its own sovereignty,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters.

The move by the Japanese side is a “serious provocation on China’s territorial sovereignty” and is “illegal and invalid,” Zhao stressed, adding that it will not change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China.

China firmly opposes the move and has lodged solemn representations to Japan through diplomatic channels, he noted.

Beijing “reserves the right to take further measures in response.”