DPP's Su Tseng-chang says just Taipei and Tokyo must solve islands row

Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said the territorial dispute between Taipei and Tokyo over a group of islands in the East China Sea should be resolved by themselves.

DPP chairman Su Tseng-chang wrapped up a controversial visit to Japan on Thursday that included meetings with several Japanese political heavyweights, including Nobuo Kishi, a member of the Japanese House of Councillors and brother of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Taipei-based China Times said on Thursday that Su did not mention the dispute over the Diaoyus - known as the Senkakus in Japan - in those meetings.

But Taiwan's official Central News Agency (CNA) said Su had mentioned the Diaoyu dispute when visiting Taku Yamasaki, the president of a think tank affiliated with Abe's Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday.

He told Yamasaki the dispute should be resolved between Taipei and Tokyo to prevent "any third country making use of every single space".

During his meeting with Kishi, Su said the United States, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan should stand together to form a "democratic alliance" to defend against "any power that would interrupt regional peace or create tension", Taiwanese media reported, adding that Su hinted such an alliance should aim to contain Beijing.