Fish is at root of rows with Taiwan, China

Philippines Daily Inquirer ^ | 05/26/2013 | Neal H. Cruz

[TexGrill]

The Philippines is being bullied by two neighbors: China and Taiwan. China is sending its navy to protect its fishing vessels while poaching in Philippine fishing grounds. And Taiwanese are harassing Filipino workers in Taiwan in retaliation for the accidental killing by a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol member of a Taiwanese on board a fishing vessel caught poaching in the seas around the Batanes isles. The PCG said the Taiwanese fishing boat tried to ram the PCG vessel so it fired warning shots. A fisherman was fatally hit by one of those shots and that started the diplomatic row between the two neighbors.

Taiwan has found a hostage to use against the Philippine government: the Filipino workers, mostly domestics, in Taiwan. The Filipinos are being harassed by Taiwanese citizens. They are denied service when trying to buy supplies from stores. They cannot walk or bike anywhere because they are harassed by Taiwanese goons. The Filipinos are forced to stay indoors.

In fairness to the Taiwanese government, it is not tolerating these acts of harassment. In fact, it has ordered the police to accompany Filipinos while going to and from their jobs or while doing errands for their employers, and to arrest Taiwanese citizens who harass them.

But the Taiwanese government is itself

erratic in dealing with the controversy. It has demanded an apology from the Philippine government, compensation for the family of the slain fisherman, the arrest and punishment of the coast guards involved, and a joint investigation of the incident.

[TexGrill]

Some say there's lots of oil under the South China Sea too.

[Army Air Corps]

Yep. Just ask Viet Nam.

[HiTech RedNeck]

According to this Phillipine newspaper the Taiwanese are trying to parlay this incident and dispute into increased fishing privileges in Phillipine waters.