Guang Da Xing No. 28 incident
The Guang Da Xing No. 28 incident was a fatal shooting incident that occurred on 9 May 2013 involving the 15-ton Taiwanese fishing boat Guang Da Xing No. 28 and the 90-ton Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat Maritime Control Surveillance 3001, resulting in the death of a 65-year old Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) by gunfire from the Philippine vessel.
Location of the shooting incident, the territorial waters and EEZ claimed by both countries. It is 43 nautical miles from the nearest Philippine land territory and 170 nautical miles from the nearest Taiwanese land territory. | |
| Date | 9 May 2013 |
|---|---|
| Location | Balintang Channel 19.9965°N 122.9282°E |
| Also known as | Balintang Channel incident |
| Participants | Philippine Coast Guard Taiwanese fishing boat |
| Outcome | Diplomatic tension between the Philippines and the Republic of China (Taiwan) until 7 August, after which relations normalized |
| Deaths | Death of a Taiwanese fisherman |
| Inquiries | Investigation convened by Philippine and Taiwanese governments |
| Charges | Homicide charges recommended against eight Philippine Coast Guard personnel |
The incident occurred within the disputed and overlapping exclusive economic zones of the Philippines and Taiwan. 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.