The islands — known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan — are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan. The protesters had hoped to deliver the letter to an association official in person, but no one from the association immediately responded to their requests. The ministry has expressed its serious concern about the matter to Japan, while reiterating Taiwan’s sovereignty over the islands, Ou said. Taiwan’s sovereignty rights over the islands would not be altered just because another country or its local government renames them, she said. The nation’s abiding position is that any disputes should be resolved through peaceful means, and Japan and China should restrain themselves to avoid escalating tensions in the region, Ou said.
