The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) did not “bully” Philippine Coast Guard personnel in a recent standoff that occurred in the two countries’ overlapping economic waters, Taiwan’s representative office in the Philippines said.
In a statement on Thursday, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines said that the standoff last week occurred 21.6 nautical miles (40km) off the Philippines’ Batanes Islands, not within the Philippines’ 12-nautical-mile sea territory.
It said that the apprehending of a Taiwanese fishing boat by the Philippine Coast Guard in a contiguous zone — an area contiguous to its territorial sea — was not in line with international law. The Coast Guard Administration is entitled to protect Taiwanese fishing boats in the country’s exclusive economic zone, it added.
The standoff occurred in waters northeast of the Batanes Islands, northern Philippines, when the Philippine Coast Guard apprehended the Taiwanese fishing vessel, the Ming Jin Cai No. 6, on May 25.
The Philippine Coast Guard was towing the fishing boat when a CGA cutter appeared, blocked the Philippine patrol vessel and demanded the release of the fishing boat. After four hours of negotiation, the Taiwanese fishing boat was released.
The 500-tonne CGA cutter was bigger than the 115-tonne Philippine patrol boat, leading to allegations from some Philippine citizens that the Philippine Coast Guard were bullied by their Taiwanese counterparts in the standoff.
Denying such accusations, the office said that law enforcement officers from both sides maintained a professional attitude. The Coast Guard Administration did not threaten to open fire, it said.
Instead, the release of the Taiwanese fishing boat came as a result of bilateral negotiations, it said.
Meanwhile, the office called on the Philippines to sign a pending bilateral agreement with Taiwan, which covers law enforcement cooperation in the two countries’ overlapping economic waters.
In the wake of the standoff, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement on Wednesday, calling for an early conclusion of the agreement that would formalize measures to resolve fishing disputes to prevent similar incidents.
Officials from the two neighbors have agreed on the text of the agreement. It is pending the authorization of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, before the Philippines and Taiwan can move to sign the pact.
The agreement covers a consensus reached by the two countries, including not using force or violence when patrolling fishing grounds, the establishment of a mechanism to inform each other in the event of fishery incidents and the release of detained fishermen and boats as soon as possible.
Taiwan and the Philippines have been negotiating the pact since late 2013, one of a series of steps taken to improve relations after Philippine Coast Guard officers opened fire on a Taiwanese fishing boat May 9, 2013, in waters where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones overlap, killing a Taiwanese fisherman.
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