Chinese Claims of Sovereignty 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 article argues the claims may be a calculated maneuver, occurring after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced formal negotiations to delimit their maritime boundaries 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, administered under the Taiwan prefecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Batanes' northernmost point, Mavulis Island, is only 142 km from Taiwan. The article suggests that even seeding doubt about sovereignty could have broader regional impact.
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