Chinese Academic Claims Over Batanes Islands Raise Geopolitical Concerns
A group of Chinese maritime scholars reportedly claimed at a June 30 symposium in Guangzhou that the Batanes Islands, a Philippine province since 1909, belong to China. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. dismissed the claims as 'ludicrous' and 'baseless.' However, the claims appear strategically timed, following a May 28 announcement by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to launch formal negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation under UNCLOS. The scholars argued that the Japan-Philippines proposal violates international law and infringes on China's sovereignty, asserting that the Batanes Islands are a 'natural geographic extension of Taiwan' historically administered under Chinese dynasties. The article, published by The Interpreter (Lowy Institute), analyzes the broader geopolitical implications, noting that even seeding doubt about sovereignty could have strategic consequences in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait region.
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