Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba repeated Tuesday that the Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japan and voiced hope that ties with Taiwan will not be marred because of Taipei's and China's claims to them.
Genba made the remarks after Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou set forth an initiative calling on other countries, apparently with Japan and China in mind, to set rules of conduct and join hands in developing resources in the East China Sea for the sake of stability in Northeast Asia.
"We can't accept Taiwan's own claim," Genba said, maintaining Japan's long-standing stance that no territorial issue over the Japan-administered Senkakus exists.