BEIJING - Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islets are part of China's inherent territory and have never been part of Liuqiu or Okinawa, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said at a Wednesday press briefing.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying's remarks came after the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Wednesday published an article titled "On the Treaty of Shimonoseki and the Diaoyu Islands Issue" that discusses Japan's sovereignty over the island of Okinawa.

"Academics have long paid attention to the history of Liuqiu and Okinawa," Hua said.