The head of Taiwan's main opposition party left for Japan on Sunday on a goodwill visit despite a sovereignty dispute over islands in the East China Sea. <\/p>\n
Su Tseng-chang, chairman of the China-sceptic and Tokyo-friendly Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was making his first foreign trip since being elected party leader last May. <\/p>\n
\"We give priority to Japan, as it is a crucial neighbouring country of Taiwan and has maintained a longstanding friendly relationship with Taipei,\" the party said in a statement. <\/p>\n
China, Taiwan and Japan dispute the sovereignty of the islands known as the Diaoyu islands in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese. <\/p>\n
Last month a boatload of Taiwanese activists protected by coastguards sailed to waters off the islands. Coastguards from the two sides converged and duelled with water cannon. <\/p>\n
The boat, carrying seven people including four Taiwanese activists, gave up a plan to land on the islands. <\/p>\n
Intensified friction over the islands between China and Japan has seen both sides recently scrambling fighter jets to assert their claims. <\/p>\n
Su may meet Japanese political figures and scholars to discuss \"a wide range of topics\" during his five-day visit, said party spokesman Lin Chun-hsien. <\/p>\n
Lin declined to say if the discussions would touch on the sensitive islands dispute. <\/p>\n
He said Su currently has no plans to meet Shintaro Ishihara, a right-wing activist and former Tokyo governor who last year tried to buy the disputed islands to assert Japan's claim. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/p>\n
Taiwan opposition chief visits Japan despite islands row<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The head of Taiwan's main opposition party left for Japan on Sunday on a goodwill visit despite a sovereignty dispute over islands in the East China Sea. Su Tseng-chang, chairman of the China-sceptic and Tokyo-friendly Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was making his first foreign trip since being elected party leader last May Continue reading