2013 Guang Da Xing No. 28 incident
Location of the shooting incident, the territorial waters and EEZ claimed by both countries
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| Date | 9 May 2013 |
|---|---|
| Location |
Balintang Channel 19°59′47″N 122°55′42″E / 19.9965°N 122.9282°ECoordinates: 19°59′47″N 122°55′42″E / 19.9965°N 122.9282°E |
| Also known as | Balintang Channel incident |
| Participants |
 Philippine Coast Guard Taiwanese fishing boat |
| Outcome | Diplomatic tension between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Philippines |
| Deaths | Death of a Taiwanese fisherman |
| Inquiries | Investigation convened by Taiwanese and Philippine governments |
| Charges | Homicide charges recommended against eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel |
The Guang Da Xing No. 28 incident was a fatal shooting incident that occurred on 9 May 2013 involving the Taiwanese fishing boat Guang Da Xing No. 28 and the Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat Maritime Control Surveillance 3001, which led to the death of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) by gunfire from the Philippine vessel.
The incident occurred in the high seas, within the overlapping exclusive economic zones of Taiwan and the Philippines. After the incident, Taiwan imposed sanctions and conducted a two-day "safety and rescue drill" with its Naval and Coast Guard forces near the waters where the incident occurred, on the grounds that the killing took place within its exclusive economic zone and the Philippine authority's action was in violation of international law. A Philippine official stated that the shooting was a reaction to the threat of being rammed. The incident came under separate investigations by Taiwanese and Philippine authorities; Taiwanese authorities presented evidence of more than 50 bullet holes found on the fishing boat, while Philippine authorities examined a video tape recording of the incident.
The Philippines released the result of the National Bureau of Investigation's inquiry into the incident on 7 August 2013; the NBI recommended homicide charges against eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel involved in the shooting and recommended sanctions against four others for allegedly trying to alter evidence. A day after the release of the investigation report, a representative of the Philippine government traveled to Taiwan to officially apologize to the victim's family. Taiwan subsequently lifted the sanctions it imposed against the Philippines and issued a statement announcing that relations between the two countries have normalized.
Taiwan, the Philippines and China contest control of fishing waters in the South China Sea. On May 7, Chinese media reported that a large number of Chinese fishing vessels were on their way to disputed waters for a 40-day fishing expedition. The announcement provoked an angry response by some politicians in the Philippines, where an election was scheduled for May 13. Walden Bello, a spokesman for the left Akbayan party in a coalition with the ruling Liberal Party, called the fishing flotilla "tantamount to an invasion" and warned that Chinese "naval warships and troops" might follow. Taiwanese fishing vessels were also in the region.
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Wikipedia