Philippines Rejects Chinese Academic Claims Over Batanes Province

The Philippines rejected claims by Chinese academics asserting that Batanes, the country's northernmost province, belongs to China. These claims emerged from a June 30 symposium at Jinan University in Guangzhou, where scholars from various institutions, including Nanjing University, argued that the islands are a "natural geographical extension" of Taiwan. This academic discourse follows a May summit where Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to negotiate maritime boundaries east of Taiwan.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. dismissed the assertions as "baseless" and "ludicrous," suggesting they signal a "preconceived intention" by China to control the Pacific Ocean. The Department of Foreign Affairs added that Philippine sovereignty over Batanes is "settled and not up for debate." While the Chinese government has not formally endorsed the symposium's findings, the state-run Global Times suggested China should assert sovereignty through Coast Guard patrols. Analysts from SeaLight characterized the claims as a "lawfare" strategy to justify Chinese patrols in the Bashi Channel.

In response, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio challenged China to bring its claims regarding Batanes and the Scarborough Shoal to the International Court of Justice for a definite ruling. This friction coincides with a separate report from the China Institute of Marine Affairs released on July 8, which disputed Philippine territorial claims over Huangyan Island and the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, arguing that Manila's legal positions lack historical and legal basis.