Taiwan warns Philippines over fisherman's death Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou Taiwan has rejected an apology from the Philippines over the death of one of its fishermen raising fears of further clashes in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Taiwanese fisherman was killed last Thursday by Philippines law enforcement officials who opened fire on his boat, prompting Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan's president, to threaten to stop processing worker visas for Filipinos unless Manila by Tuesday formally apologises and opens talks with Taiwan over fishing rights. The incident is the latest to roil political relations in the South China Sea, a growing flashpoint in Asian diplomacy. Conflicts have risen in part as China has become more assertive in its claims to nearly the entire resource-rich area. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan all have claims in the area, and conflicts between fishing and coastguard vessels have frequently escalated to serious diplomatic disputes. The Philippines has recently been seeking support from the UN in blocking Beijing from operating in waters claimed by Manila. A spokesperson for the Philippines president expressed the nation's condolences for the death of the Taiwanese fisherman and promised to investigate the incident, but Mr Ma late on Sunday said Taiwan would accept only a formal apology from Manila. The maritime clash has also sparked a minor civilian cyber battle as hackers from both nations have been defacing and interrupting service to each others" government and corporate websites. The growing fight between Taiwan and the Philippines could have serious economic repercussions for both nations. Remittances from overseas workers are a key pillar of the Philippines economy, and its citizens are the third largest group of guest workers in Taiwan, whose ageing population forces it to rely on foreign labourers as health aides and factory workers. Taiwan has previously been able to successfully resolve disputes over its maritime territory through negotiations. After violent clashes last year between Taiwanese fishermen and the Japanese coast guard in the East China Sea near the disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyutai in Taiwan, the two nations opened talks over fishing rights. The talks led to discussions last month on how the two sides could share the waters. Additional reporting by Roel Landingin in Manila