TAIPEI - TAIWAN'S ruling party chief has left for a fence-mending trip to Japan following disputes over competing claims to a group of uninhabited East China Sea islands.

Nationalist Party chief Wu Poh-hsiung says Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou hopes to maintain a 'special partnership' with Japan by putting aside their territorial disputes. Mr Wu left on Sunday for a six-day visit.

Mr Ma strongly criticised Tokyo in June after a Japanese patrol ship sank a Taiwanese fishing boat after allegedly entering waters near the disputed Senkaku islands.

Japanese authorities recently agreed to compensate the sunken ship's owner with NT$10 million (S$457,000).

Japan does not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan as it recognises the island's rival, China. -- AP