On the morning of May 11, President Ma Ying-jeou went to Pier 43 at Taichung Harbor in central Taiwan to observe the Hai An No. 7 Exercise carried out by the ROC's Coast Guard Administration (CGA), and to take part in a maritime culture festival. The president viewed a "sail past" parade, a special services speed boat drill, and a marine emergency response drill. President Ma expressed his confidence in the members of the nation's Coast Guard to defend the nation's territorial waters and sovereignty, and thanked them for their efforts.
In remarks, the president stated that today marks the third time he has participated in a Hai An exercise, which shows the importance that the government places on the nation's ability to defend its sovereignty at sea, protect its fishing rights, enforce the law at sea, and engage in rescue work.
With respect to the recent shooting of a Taiwan fishing vessel by a Philippine government vessel that resulted in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman, President Ma stated, on May 9 a fishing vessel registered in Liuqiu Township in Pingtung County was fired upon by the Philippine vessel without warning while operating in the overlapping economic zones of Taiwan and the Philippines. Automatic weapons were employed, and the Taiwanese fishing boat was hit by over 30 rounds, resulting in the unfortunate death of Mr. Hong Shi-cheng (洪石成). The president said he was deeply shocked, and that he immediately demanded that the Philippine government investigate what happened, issue a formal apology, apprehend and punish those responsible, and provide compensation.
President Ma remarked that no nation can use excessive force when enforcing the law, and that the Philippine government vessel, by firing on an unarmed fishing vessel, had "undoubtedly violated international maritime law and displayed a lack of humanity through its violent and cold-blooded act." On May 10, the representative of the Philippines stationed in Taiwan issued a public apology. However, the president's office in the Philippines has not issued an apology, but instead has only expressed sympathy and said it would carry out an investigation. "The attitude of the Philippines makes us feel indignant. A man was murdered and their government does not apologize. Their lack of sincerity is absolutely unacceptable," said President Ma, adding, "I hereby reiterate our demands that the authorities in the Philippines make a formal apology, apprehend the perpetrator, provide compensation, and guarantee that a similar incident will not recur."
President Ma stressed that the government will absolutely seek justice for the ROC fishermen, and added that no sanctions of any sort have been ruled out. "We will absolutely not step back unless this incident is resolved in a satisfactory manner," the president said. He also noted that this incident highlights the importance of strengthening the nation's maritime patrols. President Ma said that the peak fishing season for bluefin tuna is ongoing and that he has asked the Coast Guard Administration to dispatch more patrol vessels to Taiwan's southern economic waters in order to fully protect the safety of Taiwan fishermen operating in the area.
The president remarked that in August 2012 he unveiled his East China Sea Peace Initiative, which was before Japan took steps to nationalize the Diaoyutai Islets. The peace initiative called for the ROC and Japan to maintain peace by shelving their dispute over sovereignty, and by jointly developing the natural resources of the area. President Ma said that many nations welcomed the initiative and that even Japan's former Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba and Kenzaburo Oe, winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Literature, expressed support.
President Ma further stated that the ROC and Japan held three rounds of negotiations starting in November 2012, which ultimately resulted in the signing of a fishery agreement between the two countries in April this year. The shelving of the sovereignty dispute regarding the Diaoyutais thus enabled the two sides to resolve a fishing rights controversy that had continued for four decades. Consequently, he said, Taiwan fishermen will be able to operate in another 4,530 square kilometer area, bringing the total area in which they can operate to 74,000 square kilometers.
The president remarked that although the ROC is a peace-loving nation, it will not fail to defend its sovereignty or protect its fishing rights. He pointed out that five years ago after the Lianhe Incident (a collision between a Taiwan sport fishing vessel and a Japanese coast guard patrol vessel) happened in the East China Sea, he immediately sought to upgrade the CGA fleet by launching a "Coast Guard Development Program," under which some NT$24 billion is slated to be spent between 2009 and 2017. Under the initiative, nine frigates and patrol vessels of over 1,000 tons will be constructed domestically, along with 28 100-ton class patrol and rescue vessels, he noted. This will strengthen the ROC's abilities to patrol and protect its waters, the president said. He mentioned that on March 30 of this year, he personally attended ceremonies in which the 2,000-ton class Hsin Bei and the 1,000-ton class Syun Hu No. 8 were christened. This initiative, he said, will give the ROC greater ability to enforce the law, adding that more new vessels will enter the Coast Guard fleet each year.
President Ma stressed that the work of the CGA includes sea rescue and law enforcement in order to defend the nation's sovereignty and protect its fishing rights. In addition, Taiwan and mainland China have already twice held joint search and rescue exercises in the waters around Kinmen and Xiamen, he said. The president stated that the CGA will also help to prevent pollution of the seas. This work is different to the traditional work of the Coast Guard, he said, adding that these missions should be carried out by the Coast Guard but not by the Navy. If the need arises, however, the Navy can provide resources, the president stated. In other words, the Coast Guard is the nation's first line of defense and the Navy is the second line, he said. This approach has been adopted by all advanced nations, the president stated.
Lastly, President Ma reiterated his support for the efforts of CGA Minister Wang Ginn-Wang (王進旺) over the past five years and stressed that the ROC will continue to play the role of peacemaker and provider of humanitarian assistance at sea. At the same time, the government will continue to defend the nation's territorial waters and protect its fishermen.
Among those attending the event were Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-Tien Yang (楊進添), National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lu Hsiao-jung (陸小榮), CGA Minister Wang, Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Minister Yu-Hsieh Sung (宋餘俠), and Kinmen County Magistrate Li Wo-Shih (李沃士).