MANILA, Philippines — A group of Chinese academics has asserted that the Philippines' northernmost province of Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan, a narrative that aims to support Beijing's territorial claims in the region.
The claim emerged from a June 30 symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou, where scholars from institutions including Nanjing University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and other research organizations concluded that the Batan Islands are a "natural geographical extension" of Taiwan and therefore fall under China's sovereignty.
A report published by Chinese state-affiliated media outlet NewsGD said participants unanimously declared that the Philippines' administration of Batanes "lacks historical and legal basis" and that planned maritime boundary negotiations between Japan and the Philippines east of Taiwan are "illegal and invalid.".
Chinese scholars argued that Batanes was under the jurisdiction of Taiwan during the Ming and Qing dynasties, citing historical navigation records, cultural ties between the Ivatan people and Taiwan's Tao community, and their interpretation of the 1898 Treaty of Paris and the 1946 Treaty of Manila.
They further claimed the islands should have been returned to China after World War II as territories allegedly appurtenant to Taiwan.
Maritime security analyst Ray Powell of SeaLight said the symposium appears to be part of Beijing's broader "lawfare" strategy to establish a new territorial narrative over Batanes.
Powell said the event was likely orchestrated through Chinese academics and state media to provide legal justification for Chinese patrols conducted east of Taiwan last month, even without an official endorsement from Beijing. »
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