TAIPEI: Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou says his proposal that China and Japan set aside their sovereignty dispute over a small group of islands in the East China Sea is the best way to resolve the crisis.

Ma acknowledged Thursday that it may be difficult for Beijing and Tokyo to involve Taiwan in negotiations over the Japanese-controlled islands, known in China as Diaoyu and in Japan as Senkaku.

Taiwan also claims the group of islands and has proposed that rather than contesting their sovereignty the sides should jointly develop the islands' natural resources.

China is unlikely to take up Ma's offer because it still sees Taiwan as part of its territory 63 years after they split during a civil war.