US concerned over Philippines' killing of fisherman

The United States on Wednesday expressed concern about the increasing tensions between the Philippines and China's Taiwan following last week's fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard.

At a news briefing, the State Department's acting deputy spokesman Patric Ventrell also urged the two sides to take "all appropriate measures to clarify disagreements and prevent recurrence of such tragic events."

He also called on the two sides to "ensure maritime safety and to refrain from actions that could further escalate tensions in the region and undermine the prospect for a rapid and effective resolution of differences."

The incident happened on May 9 on the sea 164 nautical miles southeast of the southernmost tip of Taiwan, when Philippine Coast Guard officers shot dead Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-Cheng. Moreover, the Philippine ship chased the fishing vessel for about one hour.

The incident sparked widespread anger and protests across Taiwan and a call for the island's leaders to take retaliatory actions to punish the Philippines for such a barbaric act.

Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou has asked Manila to apologize, clarify the truth, punish people responsible, compensate for the death and the damage to the fishing boat within 72 hours, or before Tuesday midnight.

In response, Manila has expressed deep regret and apology for the incident and given a "positive response" to most of Taiwan's demands, while saying it needs further confirmation regarding how Taiwan's demands will be met, particularly those concerning compensation.

Amadeo R. Perez Jr., chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, was sent to Taiwan Wednesday to convey "a message of regret and apology."

But Taiwan said Wednesday that it is strongly dissatisfied with the Philippine response, which lacks sincerity, adding it has decided to immediately adopt countermeasures, including freezing applications of Filipino laborers for work permits in Taiwan.

The island also warned of further measures if Manila fails to meet its demands, including discouraging Taiwanese tourists from visiting the Philippines, and halting bilateral high-level exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

The Chinese mainland has also demanded that the Philippine government conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting and seriously punish those responsible.

"We are very angry with the incident and strongly condemn it," said Zhang Zhijun, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

"We demand that the Philippine side take the case seriously, find out the truth and punish those responsible," Zhang said Wednesday while meeting with Taiwanese businessmen in Shanghai.

Emboldened by its ally, the United States, Manila has repeatedly stirred up tensions with both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan in recent years, by using force against unarmed fishermen in a bid to advance its unfounded territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The U.S. government has so far refrained from condemning Manila for the latest shooting incident, except for expressing regret for the death of the Taiwanese fisherman.