5 special Taiwan municipalities suspend ties with PHL


Five special municipalities of Taiwan, whose residents make up 60 percent of Taiwan's population, have suspended exchange activities with sister cities and towns in the Philippines over the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters last week.

Residents of one of the municipalities were discouraged from visiting Manila, while plans to donate used ambulances and fire trucks were also put on hold, Taipei Times reported Wednesday.

The municipalities that suspended ties with the Philippines included Taipei, New Taipei City, Greater Taichung, Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung.

Taiwan has been outraged over the fatal shooting of fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, by Philippine authorities off disputed waters last May 9.

Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu said he was suspending exchanges with sister city Makati, and called on Greater Taichung residents not to go to the Philippines, the report said.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin uninvited Manila and Quezon City to the city’s dragon boat race in June, and put on hold a plan to donate two ambulances to the Philippines.

New Taipei City and Greater Taichung also suspended all exchanges as well as the donation of used ambulances and fire engines.

Meanwhile, Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu voiced support for the central government’s proposed political and economic sanctions, unless the Philippine government issues an official apology over the incident and compensates the victim’s family.

Greater Kaohsiung has sister-city ties with Cebu, to which it has donated hundreds of used buses and fire engines over the years.

Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai similarly announced the suspension of all exchanges with five sister cities in the Philippines until Manila responds to Taiwan’s demands.

Lai said the Philippine Coast Guard’s shooting “bordered on a violent act by pirates." — LBG, GMA News

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