Taiwan accidentally launches missile toward China, kills fishing boat captain

Locutus

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Jun 18, 2007
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(CNN)A Taiwanese warship mistakenly launched a supersonic "aircraft carrier killer" missile toward China Friday, hitting a fishing boat and killing the boat's captain in an incident China called "a serious matter."

A spokesman for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense apologized on behalf of the military.

"The Ministry of National Defense sincerely apologizes for the incident that caused the death of the captain (of the boat) and injured other crew members," Maj. Gen. Chen Chung-Chi said in a news conference. The ministry has also asked the Navy to provide assistance and compensation to the family of the victims.

The deceased captain has been identified as Huang Wen-Chung, the defense ministry confirmed, according to Taiwan Focus, the English-language service of state-run Central News Agency.

Chung-Chi said the missile, the "Hsiung Feng III," ripped through the fishing boat but did not explode.

An investigation into the incident has begun, Chung-Chi added.

China's top official in Taiwan, Zhang Zhijun, said Friday that Taiwan must provide a "responsible explanation" for the launch of the missile, calling it a "serious matter."

Relations between Taiwan -- officially the Republic of China -- and the People's Republic of China have been increasingly tense since the landslide election of Tsai Ing-wen, whose party has traditionally leaned in favor of formal independence from China.

Taiwan missile launch: Accidental launch toward China kills boat captain - CNN.com
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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My guess is that it wasn't an accident, either. The whole area is a tinder box ... if a sea can be a tinder box, that is.