KMT head hopes to work with Japan on isles

The uninhabited islands, thought to lie near oil and gas reserves in an area also rich with fish, have long been a source of friction between Taiwan, Japan and China and the dispute has flared up this year.

Taiwan claims them as Tiaoyutai, Beijing as Diaoyu islands, and Japan, which controls the islands, as the Senkaku isles.

“We hope that Taiwan and Japan can set aside disputes over sovereignty and jointly cooperate with each other to develop resources around Tiaoyutai,” Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung told a news conference.

“We hope to avoid any conflicts,” he said in Tokyo, where he is meeting Japanese political party heads in a bid to ease recent tensions.

The row over the islands, about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) south of Tokyo, is one of several disputes in the region involving potentially oil-rich islands.

Earlier this week, two Chinese survey ships briefly entered waters near the disputed islands. Tokyo protested to Beijing, which defended the vessels, saying they were within its territorial waters and their conduct was “above reproach”.

Wu said the sovereignty dispute was a bilateral issue, suggesting it could be resolved without China’s involvement.

“The Tiaoyutai issue is an issue between Taiwan and Japan. We hope it will not become complicated,” he said.

Taiwan and Japan have maintained close informal relations in the past, but Taipei’s stance has been toughening towards Tokyo since Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May after pledging to improve ties with China.

In June, Taiwan and Japan faced off over the islands after Japan arrested a Taiwan fishing boat captain following a collision near the isles. Taiwan recalled an envoy from Japan and Ma criticized Tokyo.

Last month, Taiwan’s parliament passed a resolution asking Japan to apologize for forcing women into sex slavery during World War Two.

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