The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has firmly dismissed allegations from a group of Chinese academics asserting that the northernmost Philippine province of Batanes belongs to China due to its proximity to Taiwan.
Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. also strongly rebuffed the narrative, describing the researchers’ conclusions as entirely groundless.
The controversial claim surfaced in a July 2 report by NewsGD, a media outlet run by the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the article, researchers from prominent entities—including Nanjing University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences—gathered for a symposium at Jinan University in Guangzhou on June 30.
During the event, the academics argued that the Batanes island group serves as a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan, thereby placing it under Beijing’s sovereign rule.
The academic discussion occurred shortly after a high-level summit between Japan and the Philippines, where both nations committed to bolstering their maritime and security ties. Pointing to this alliance, the symposium participants insisted that any maritime boundary talks held between Manila and Tokyo in the waters east of Taiwan are “illegal and invalid,” claiming such diplomacy infringes upon China’s sovereignty.
The researchers further asserted that Manila “lacks the historical and legal basis” to administer the northern province, citing its physical closeness to Taiwan as their primary rationale.
“We know there is no basis for this. It’s a joke. It’s ludicrous,” Teodoro told reporters, reacting to the academic claims.
While these arguments have been publicized by provincial-level media channels in China, the central government in Beijing has not officially validated or adopted the narrative.
To date, no high-ranking Chinese officials have made formal diplomatic statements or public declarations claiming sovereignty over Batanes.