Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has forcefully rejected assertions from Chinese academics claiming that the northern island province of Batanes is an extension of Taiwan, thereby placing it within China’s territorial reach.
Teodoro condemned the arguments as groundless and intentionally inflammatory.
The issue escalated following a report by GDToday, a Chinese state-linked media outlet, covering a June 30 symposium. During the event, scholars from prominent institutions, including Nanjing University, suggested that Batanes belongs within Beijing’s sphere of influence.
Though the Chinese government has not formally endorsed this position, the narrative has intensified regional anxieties already strained by maritime conflicts in the South China Sea.
“I view this, once again, as probably a signal of a preconceived intention,” Teodoro stated during a media briefing.
The Defense Secretary warned that such rhetoric exposes expansive geopolitical goals.
“It is not far-fetched to think that this is already part of their plan. And it also validates what we have been saying that they have a plan to control the entire Pacific Ocean.”
Home to about 20,000 residents, Batanes is a highly strategic archipelago situated just 160 kilometers south of Taiwan along the Luzon Strait, a crucial maritime gateway linking the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Because of this critical geography, the province has become central to Philippine national defense strategies and frequently hosts joint military exercises with the United States.
Teodoro fiercely criticized the academic theories, remarking,
“What is this for, right? And we know this is baseless. This is nonsense. It is ludicrous.”
He added that the narrative is “concerning, and it is something that must be challenged.”
The diplomatic friction follows a recent announcement by Manila and Tokyo to map out maritime borders between their overlapping exclusive economic zones, a decision that has already drawn ire from Beijing.
Despite a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that dismissed China’s sweeping historical claims in the region, Beijing continues its assertive behavior, and its embassy in Manila has not yet issued a statement regarding Teodoro’s remarks.