TAIWAN: Taiwan refuses meeting with Philippine envoy

Record ID: 859344

  • Title: TAIWAN: Taiwan refuses meeting with Philippine envoy
  • Date: 15th May 2013
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (MAY 15, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FOREIGN MINISTRY NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN ANNA KAO SPEAKING JOURNALISTS VIDEO CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN ANNA KAO SAYING: "Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairman Amadeo R. Perez Jr., who is arriving today, does not have enough authorisation. The government of the Philippines has been evasive and lacked integrity, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of China (Taiwan) refuses to meet with Chairman Perez this afternoon." JOURNALISTS JOURNALIST TYPING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 30th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Taiwan, Province of China
  • City:
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAWQU1CKSLUQ9GRSA6FDTL7OZK
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Taiwan's Foreign Ministry says it refuses to meet with special envoy from Manila, Amadeo R. Perez Jr., who it thinks does not have enough authorisation from the Filipino government.


    Taiwan said on Wednesday (May 15) that it will not meet with a special envoy from Manila, who it says has not been given enough authorisation by the Filipino government.
    Earlier in the day, Taiwan recalled its envoy to the Philippines, froze applications for work permits and ordered military exercises in waters between the two sides, to press for an apology for the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman.
    A spokesman for Philippine President Benigno Aquino later said a formal apology was being offered to the "appropriate authority" in Taiwan.
    But Taiwan said the Philippines only authorised the Manila Economic and Cultural Office to express apology on behalf of the Filipino people, but not on behalf of the government.
    It added that the Philippines did not mention giving full compensation to the fisherman's family.
    "Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairman Amadeo R. Perez Jr., who is arriving today, does not have enough authorisation. The government of the Philippines has been evasive and lacked integrity, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of China (Taiwan) refuses to meet with Chairman Perez this afternoon," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao told a news conference in Taipei.
    Special envoy Amadeo R. Perez Jr. arrived at the Taoyuan airport at 12:51 p.m. local time (0451 GMT) on Wednesday.
    The row is the latest flare-up in tension in Asian seas where disputes in various places between various countries have raised fears of conflict in the economically vibrant region where competition for resources is likely to intensify.
    Taiwan had earlier issued an ultimatum to the Philippines to apologise to the family of the fisherman who was killed in a shooting last week by the Philippine coast guard in waters off the northern Philippines.
    The Philippines and Taiwan, as well as China, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, are embroiled in disputes over territory in the nearby South China Sea, potentially rich in oil and gas and criss-crossed by crucial shipping lanes.
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