Philippines Rejects China's Batanes Claims

The Philippines has delivered one of its strongest responses yet to a growing Chinese narrative questioning Manila's sovereignty over Batanes, rejecting the argument as propaganda.

The Department of National Defense (DND) labeled a Global Times opinion article, which claimed Batanes does not belong to the Philippines, as state-sponsored propaganda, warning that repeated attempts to rewrite the island's history will not create a legitimate territorial dispute. The DND emphasized that Batanes has never been part of China and rejects all violations of sovereignty.

Chinese scholar Wang Wen-yuan of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies authored a September 3rd Global Times commentary that argued Batanes had historical and legal connections to Taiwan.

The article questioned the legitimacy of Batanes as Philippine territory, specifically citing the 1898 Treaty of Paris as having excluded the islands from the territory transferred from Spain to the U.S., alongside arguments based on ancient fishing activities and Austronesian cultural connections to Taiwan.

Rear Admiral Jay Tristan Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard stated that manufacturing a dispute where none exists does not change the reality of sovereignty.

He argued that true sovereignty is evidenced by functional local governments, consistent tax collection, and active democratic participation, noting that Batanes residents vote in Philippine elections and serve in national institutions, thereby demonstrating effective state authority despite Chinese arguments about cultural or trading links.

Historical records, such as William Dampier's 1687 documentation, show no evidence of Chinese governance over the islands, while formal incorporation into Spanish colonial administration occurred in 1783, placing Batanes under the province of Cagayan.

Subsequently, American colonial legislation in 1907 established Batanes as a sub-province, further codified by Act No. 1952 in 1909, and modern Philippine laws like Republic Act No. 9522 continue to define the archipelago using Batanes points.

The Philippines' position on Batanes sovereignty is rooted in more than a century of effective governmental control, spanning Spanish, American, and Philippine eras, and is not solely reliant on colonial-era treaties.

This claim is further backed by subsequent agreements, legislation, constitutional practice—including the 1987 Constitution defining national territory—and the recently signed 2024 Philippine Maritime Zones Act by President Marcos, which aligns with UNCLOS and strengthens the legal framework.

The current controversy gained significant attention after a June 30th symposium where Chinese academics argued that Batanes is a geographical extension of Taiwan, igniting concerns in Manila.

Despite Beijing not having formally claimed Batanes, Manila is unwilling to dismiss this narrative, with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma Teresa Lazaro distinguishing between academic discussion and official government positions.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has characterized this linkage as baseless, while Eduardo Año Jr. has warned against allowing repeated narratives to manufacture an artificial dispute, emphasizing Batanes as an integral part of the Philippines.

Batanes, strategically located between northern Luzon and Taiwan near the Bashi Channel, is crucial for security monitoring in the South China Sea and Western Pacific.

Manila fears that the repetition of claims in state-linked media could create a false perception of a legitimate territorial dispute, and the government intends to challenge each instance of the narrative to prevent any perceived ambiguity, as repetition matters and can shift public discourse.

Batanes is situated in a critical geographical position between northern Luzon and Taiwan, particularly near the Bashi Channel and the Luzon Strait.

This location connects the South China Sea with the Western Pacific, making the province strategically important in any major security crisis involving the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Japan, or the United States.

Philippine officials are concerned that unaddressed academic claims can evolve into widespread public discourse, creating a false global impression of a 'disputed' territory.

Philippine institutions have been tracking this specific narrative since June, and Manila intends to refute each repetition to prevent silence from being interpreted as uncertainty regarding its sovereignty over Batanes.

The Philippine government firmly asserts that Batanes is exclusively administered by Philippine institutions, governed by Philippine laws, represented within the Philippine political system, and solely inhabited by citizens of the Republic of the Philippines.

Manila argues that neither proximity to Taiwan nor alternative interpretations of colonial maps can override its existing sovereignty, viewing the ongoing dispute as a battle over history, law, and narrative, and considering the sovereignty status of its northernmost province as fully settled.