China said it has filed a protest with Japan over Tokyo's plan to name uninhabited isles near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, calling the move "illegal and void."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Monday the Chinese government has lodged a "solemn representation" with Japan.
"Any unilateral action taken by the Japanese side with respect to the Diaoyu Islands and surrounding isles is illegal and void," Liu said in a press release posted on the ministry's website.
The Japan-administered Senkakus are known in China as Diaoyu. It is not clear what name Japan intends for any nearby islets. (Japan Times)
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