A senior Chinese military officer has said the Ryukyu Islands -- which include Okinawa and its US military bases -- "do not belong to Japan", as a territorial row mounts between the Asian powers.
The comments by People's Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan were published by the China News Service website Tuesday, after the country's leading newspaper last week carried a call to review Tokyo's sovereignty over the chain.
Luo emphasised that the islands were historically in a vassal relationship with imperial Chinese dynasties.
Those ties did not necessarily mean they were part of China, he said, adding: "But we can be certain of one point. The Ryukyus don't belong to Japan."
"(If) the Ryukyus don't belong to you," he said, referring to Tokyo, "how can you talk about the Diaoyus?"
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