The United States on Thursday urged its allies Taiwan and Philippines to swiftly resolve their row over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard last week, and appealed to the two nations to refrain from escalating the tensions further.
"We continue to urge both parties to ensure - to work together and to ensure maritime safety, and refrain from actions that could further escalate tensions," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said at a news briefing.
"But it is up for the people of the Philippines and Taiwan authority to determine the steps moving forward. We continue to welcome the Philippine Government's pledge to conduct a thorough investigation in this case. We're hopeful they will move forward on that," she added.
Regarding reports that Taiwanese Navy and Coast Guard conducted an exercise off the country's southern coast earlier in the day, Psaki said: "We urge both Taiwan and the Philippines to exercise restraint and address the events of last week and take steps to minimize the likelihood of future confrontations."
Antonio Basilio, the de facto Philippine Ambassador to Taipei, had apologized over the incident on Wednesday. But his gesture came after a three-day deadline set by Taiwan for an apology expired on Tuesday midnight.
Nevertheless, Basilio told reporters on Wednesday that the Philippine government would soon send its special envoy Amadeo Perez to Taiwan to apologize to the people of Taiwan and the fisherman's family. He added that Philippines would also provide "financial assistance" to the victim's family.
But the Taiwanese government rejected Basilio's apology and recalled its envoy to Manila later on Wednesday. Taipei also announced that it was freezing hiring of Filipino workers in protest over the death of the Taiwanese fisherman.
Apparently, the Taiwanese government was disappointed by the wordings of the apology, which stated that it was from "the people of Philippines." Experts say Taipei was expecting an apology from the Philippines government instead.
Philippines had admitted that its Coast Guard had opened fire on a Taiwanese fishing vessel on May 9 after it strayed into its waters. Nevertheless, Taiwan insisted that the incident occurred in waters where the two countries' economic zones overlap, and demanded a formal apology and compensation from Manila. Taipei also sent four Coast Guard and naval vessels to protect its fishermen in waters near the Philippines.
The latest incidents come amid ongoing territorial disputes between several nations over parts of the South China Sea. Countries like China, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have all staked claims to parts of the resource-rich sea.
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