Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said in his New Year's address Tuesday that ongoing fishery talks between Taiwan and Japan are an "important first step" for tackling territorial and maritime boundary disputes in the East China Sea and turning it into a "sea of peace and cooperation."
Ma said the principle of his "East China Sea Peace Initiative," which he unveiled last August, is "to shelve disputes over sovereignty and promote the joint exploration of resources."
"The fishing negotiations currently under way (between Taiwan and Japan) represent an important first step," he said.