The Philippine Coast Guard opened fire on a Taiwanese fishing vessel two weeks ago, killing a Taiwanese fisherman and provoking a diplomatic deadlock between the Philippines and Taiwan in a period of growing tensions over disputed waters in the region.
“This proves again that accidents happen and so all the more reason to have mechanisms in place to address accidents before they spin out of control,” Richard Bush, director of Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, told Trend Lines.
Bush explained that because Taiwan found the apology offered by the Philippines for the incident inadequate, the Taiwanese are retaliating. Taiwan has removed its representative from Manila, the Philippine capital, and put a halt on applications for work visas from Filipino workers.