Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Monday that former President Lee Teng-hui should apologize to the Taiwanese public for claiming that Japan is the lawful owner of the Senkaku Islands.

Ma said in a letter to the editor published in the Monday edition of the Chinese-language China Times that it is his presidential duty to safeguard the sovereignty and fishing rights of the Senkaku Islands.

The islands are controlled by Japan but claimed by Taiwan and China. Taiwan calls them Tiaoyutai, while China uses the name Diaoyu.