THE “repeated resurrection” of China’s false claims over Batanes province was a “clear attempt to manufacture ambiguity” about the Philippines’ sovereignty over its northernmost province, independent think tank Stratbase Institute said, following the publication of a Chinese state media editorial claiming Batanes was “legally part” of Taiwan.
In a statement, Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit strongly condemned the editorial published in the Global Times on Sept. 3, which argued that the Philippines “unilaterally brought the Batanes Islands under its jurisdiction.” “Batanes is Philippine territory, its people are Filipinos, and its sovereignty is settled and not up for debate,” Manhit said. “An opinion piece cannot rewrite history, international agreements, or more than two centuries of continuous Philippine administration.” He added that the repetition of this claim was a “clear attempt to manufacture ambiguity where none exists.”
“We urge the Philippine government to mount a firm, unified, and sustained response — through diplomacy, law, public information, and effective governance — to reject narratives that undermine the country’s territorial integrity,” Manhit said.
“At the same time, we call on Filipinos, civil society, media, and academe to stand united in defending the facts: Batanes is ours. False narratives must be met with vigilance, credible information, and national resolve,” he added.
This is the second time that Chinese scholars have resurfaced this claim as the country marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award that invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
Last June, Chinese scholars attending a symposium at Jinan University in Guangzhou claimed that Batanes was a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan and therefore fell under China’s sovereignty.
The country’s officials, led by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, have strongly pushed back against those claims, which suggest the assertions could be part of Beijing’s salami-slicing strategy to advance its territorial claims in the Pacific by taking small steps well below the threshold of conflict.
