South China Sea dispute: Taiwan flexes its muscles
By hook or by crook, Taiwan is winning greater regional influence under a leader criticised at home as being too pro-Chinese
It started with a common enough skirmish in the hotly disputed waters of the South China Sea. Ten days ago, a Philippine coast guard ship went too far in chasing off a Taiwanese fishing vessel in disputed waters. Such actions involve water cannons and the damage is nothing worse than a few broken portholes. This time the coast guard ship loosed off 54 rounds into the side of the Taiwanese boat and killed a fisherman. The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation launched an inquiry. A spokesmen for President Benigno S Aquino III said that a representative would convey "deep regret and apology" to the family of the dead fisherman. But all of this fell short of an official apology.
Taiwan was having none of it. It gave Manila 72 hours to apologise, failing which it would withdraw its representative and end the visa regime for Filipino workers. All of which it has now done, throwing in a two-day military drill in the channel which divides the two countries, for good measure. On Friday, the Philippine envoy to Taiwan advised Filipino workers there to avoid the streets, as emotions are running high. Then came the second surprise: China applauded. The dispute has been running high on the evening news. Commentators have denounced the Philippines and applauded Taiwan's resolute response.
To receive Beijing's approbation is something of a novelty for Taiwan. Cross-strait relations may be at their warmest for 60 years, (there are now more scheduled flights from Taipei to cities on the mainland than there are from Hong Kong), but even so. Any time Taiwan acts independently in the international arena, Beijing reverts to the orthodoxy of its One China policy. When Taiwan's president, Ma Ying-jeou, reached a pragmatic fishing deal with Japan, which might defuse the tension around the disputed islands which Japan calls the Senkakus and Taiwan knows as the Diaoyutai, China expressed its wrath – but all of it was pointed at Japan, rather than Taipei.
The fishing deal could be used as a template for other disputes. It side-steps the sovereignty debate by establishing a large area around the islands – 74,300 sq km, or twice the size of Taiwan itself – as a jointly managed fishing ground. Japan maintains its territorial waters around the islands, which Taiwanese fishermen cannot enter. But they get in return an area far beyond the 200 miles they once claimed as their exclusive economic zone. These talks have been brewing a long time. There have been 16 rounds of negotiation since 1996. The 17th may have finally been clinched by China's recent naval assertiveness, about which both Japan and Taiwan are wary. By hook or by crook, Taiwan is winning for itself greater regional influence under a leader criticised at home as being too pro-Chinese.
Taiwan imposes sanctions against Philippines after death of fishermanTaipei rejects formal apology by Manila for incident last week when Philippine coastguard vessel opened fire on fishing boat
A Taiwan navy minehunter boat takes part in a joint military drill. Photograph: Pichi Chuang/Reuters
Taiwan has imposed sanctions against the Philippines, rejecting as unacceptable a Philippine apology for the killing of a fisherman from Taiwan last week.
Earlier on Wednesday Taiwan recalled its envoy to the Philippines. The sanctions included the freezing of applications for work permits, and the cessation of economic exchanges and military exercises in waters between the two sides. A spokesman for Philippine president, Benigno Aquino, had said a formal apology was being offered to the appropriate authority in Taiwan over the "unfortunate loss" of the fisherman.
But Taiwan's premier, Jiang Yi-huah, said the apology was inadequate because it called the fisherman's death unfortunate and unintentional, according to a statement from the Taiwan government on its website.
"We can absolutely not accept this," Jiang was quoted as saying. The fisherman was killed in a shooting last week by the Philippine coastguard in waters off the northern Philippines. Taiwan said the killing took place in its exclusive economic zone and was a violation of international law.
A Philippines fisheries official said earlier one of its vessels, acting under the threat of being rammed, opened fire last Thursday on a Taiwanese fishing boat about 170 nautical miles south-east of Taiwan, killing one person on board.
Taiwan had issued an ultimatum to the Philippines to apologise to the man's family. A Taiwan defence ministry official said military vessels and aircraft would be dispatched to the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines for a two-day military drill.
A spokesman for the Philippines president, Edwin Lacierda, told a news conference in Manila an apology was being offered and he appealed to Taiwan not to take out its anger on the more than 85,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, many as domestic workers.
"We understand the grief and hurt of the family and of the people of Taiwan over this unfortunate loss and we empathise with them," Lacierda said, appealing for "calm and sobriety".
"Let us not involve our Filipino compatriots there. They are there working and they are there working for an honest living." Aquino had ordered a "thorough, exhaustive, impartial and expeditious investigation" into the shooting, Lacierda said.
The Philippines and Taiwan, as well as China, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, are embroiled in disputes over territory in the nearby South China Sea, potentially rich in oil and gas and criss-crossed by crucial shipping lanes.
The disputes have sometimes escalated to confrontation between vessels. To the north, China and Japan, and Japan and South Korea, are involved in different disputes over small islands. Fears of confrontation have grown there too over the past year.
Taiwan recalls Philippines envoy after fisherman's deathTaiwan orders military exercises and demands apology for shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Philippine coastguard
Taiwan foreign minister David Lin at a press conference in Taipei after President Ma Ying-jeou express 'strong dissatisfaction' over Manila's handling of the incident Photograph: Mandy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images
Taiwan has recalled its envoy to the Philippines, frozen applications for work permits and ordered military exercises in waters between the two countries to press its demand for an apology for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman.
Taiwan had earlier issued an ultimatum to the Philippines to apologise to the family of the fisherman, who died in a shooting last week by the Philippine coastguard in waters off the northern Philippines."Due to the Philippines government's insufficient … sincerity and its inconsistency, President Ma Ying-jeou expresses strong dissatisfaction and he cannot accept the reckless and perfunctory responses from the Philippines," the presidential office said in a statement.
After a high-level meeting, it added, Taiwan decided to immediately impose sanctions, including the recall of its envoy and a freeze on work permit applications. More than 85,000 Filipinos work in Taiwan, many as domestic workers. Further measures could also be imposed, Premier Jiang Yi-huah told reporters, including an end to visa-free access to Taiwan for Philippine nationals and stopping economic exchanges.
Separately, a Taiwan defence ministry official said military vessels and aircraft would be dispatched to the Bashi Channel, which divides Taiwan and the Philippines, to carry out a two-day military drill. The Philippines and Taiwan, as well as China, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, are embroiled in diplomatic rows over territory in the nearby South China sea, potentially rich in oil and gas and criss-crossed by crucial shipping lanes.
The disputes have occasionally escalated to confrontation between vessels. The Philippines and Taiwan have overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in waters to the north of the Philippines. A Philippines fisheries official said one of its vessels, acting under the threat of being rammed, opened fire last Thursday on a Taiwanese fishing boat about 170 nautical miles south-east of Taiwan, killing one person on board.
The Philippines has expressed sympathy over what it called an "unfortunate" incident and promised to conduct an investigation, but has stopped short of an official apology.
·20 May 2013 12:07am
作家
字體：小 中 大
