Chinese Academic Claims Over Batanes Spark Philippine Rejection

A symposium at Jinan University in Guangzhou on June 30 has sparked controversy after Chinese scholars claimed that the Philippines' Batanes islands historically belong to China, drawing sharp rejection from Manila and highlighting the region's delicate maritime diplomacy.

The claim and its context

The claim came from a group of academics from Chinese institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Nanjing University. They argued that Batanes was administered from Taiwan during the Ming and Qing dynasties and does not fall under the 1898 Treaty of Paris or the 1946 Treaty of Manila. The symposium was convened partly in response to recent Philippines-Japan talks on maritime delimitation east of Taiwan, which Beijing views as infringing its sovereignty. Source: The Diplomat The scholars called on China to "safeguard China’s sovereignty of the Batanes Islands." Source: SCMP

Interestingly, the claim emerged shortly after a traditional Tao vessel from Orchid Island, Taiwan, sailed to Batanes to renew cultural ties, highlighting the close kinship between the Tao and Batanes' indigenous groups. Source: The Diplomat

Reactions

Philippine officials and historians have rejected the claims outright, disputing the scholars' reading of history and treaties. Manila has not yet issued an official government statement, but the academic discussion has fueled concerns about China's potential use of such arguments to advance territorial narratives. Source: SCMP The claim also comes at a sensitive time, marking the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 UNCLOS ruling against China's maritime claims in the region.