ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said May 16 that his administration’s handling of events surrounding the killing of a Taiwan fisherman by Philippines government personnel and sovereignty issues in the East China Sea reaffirm its commitment to resolving international disputes in a peaceful manner.

<P>Rep. Steve Chabot, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and ranking member Del. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega urged the Philippines May 15 to apologize for the recent killing of a Taiwan fisherman.</P>

The ROC Ministry of National Defense staged a maritime drill involving naval and air forces in waters south of Taiwan proper May 16 in a move to demonstrate the government’s determination to protect fishing rights.

An ROC delegation comprised of 17 officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Criminal Investigation Bureau, Coast Guard Administration and Fisheries Agency departed for the Philippines May 16 to investigate the killing of a Taiwan fisherman.

The ROC government launched additional sanctions against Manila May 15 following its unsatisfactory response to the killing of a Taiwan fisherman by Philippines government personnel.

The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs branded the Philippines government response to its 72-hour ultimatum over the killing of a Taiwan fisherman “unclear,” demanding the matter be addressed immediately and in a proper fashion.

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said May 15 that Taipei will take punitive actions against Manila over its unsatisfactory response to the killing of a Taiwan fisherman by Philippines government personnel.

Hundreds of protesters led by the ROC National Fishermen’s Association demonstrated outside the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei City May 13 over the recent fatal attack on a Taiwan fishing boat by an official Philippine vessel.

Preliminary investigation indicates Taiwan fishing boat Guang Da Xing No. 28 was within fishing grounds protected by the ROC government when fired upon by an official Philippine vessel, the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office said May 13.

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou demanded May 11 that the Philippine government apologize for its fatal attack on a Taiwan fishing boat, compensate for losses, punish the perpetrators and open bilateral fishery talks as soon as possible.

The MOFA reiterated May 12 that the Philippine government should issue a formal apology for the recent fatal attack on a Taiwan fishing boat by one of its vessels.

The ROC Cabinet Office of Information and Communication Security said May 12 that it is taking measures to deal with anonymous Philippines-based cyberattacks on government and private sector websites.

The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a stern protest May 9 with Carlo L. Aquino, deputy representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, over the fatal attack on a Taiwan fishing boat by one of its official vessels.

In response to an invitation from Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), on April 16 President Ma Ying-jeou took part in a videoconference with leading West Coast scholars. He shared with them his pragmatic approach to promoting cross-strait peace and improving Taiwan–US relations in the context of ongoing changes in East Asia and the world as a whole.

In early April there was a major breakthrough in fishing negotiations between Taiwan and Japan, as the two parties signed a new agreement on fishing rights that defines the operational zones for fishing boats.