Taiwan Announces Further Sanctions Against Philippines

Taiwan Announces Further Sanctions Against Philippines

Premier Jiang Yi-huah announced Wednesday the initiation of a second wave of sanctions against the Philippines in retaliation for the fatal May 9 shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman.

The eight measures taken in the second wave of sanctions include issuing a red travel alert for the Philippines to discourage sightseeing or business trips, and suspending high-level exchanges, such as a ministerial-level meeting.

Taiwan is also suspending economic exchanges and business promotion activities, bilateral agricultural and fishery cooperation, technology research exchange and cooperation projects, bilateral aviation rights negotiations, visa-free treatment for Filipinos, and is mounting a joint exercise involving the Ministry of National Defense and the Coast Guard Administration in waters south of Taiwan.

The premier said the Philippines has not shown sufficient sincerity and has been oscillating in its handling of the case, making it necessary for Taiwan to take further retaliatory actions in addition to the freezing of the importation of Filipino workers earlier that day.

Taiwan's representative to the Philippines, Raymond Wang, left Manila that evening, while Antonio Basilio, head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, was set to return to Manila the following day.

Taiwan has demanded that the Philippines issue a formal apology, compensate the victim's family, investigate the case and punish those responsible, and begin fishery talks, saying that if the demands were not met by 6 p.m. Wednesday, it would impose further sanctions.

ENDS

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