‘It’s a joke’: Teodoro shoots down Chinese scholars’ Batanes claim

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday shot down claims by Chinese academics that Batanes belongs to China via Taiwan, calling the assertions groundless and warning they expose Beijing’s larger geopolitical ambitions in the region.

“We know there is no basis for this,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the National West Philippine Sea Summit in Pasay City.

“It’s a joke. It’s ludicrous,” he added.

Teodoro said he viewed the symposium’s reported conclusions as a possible indication of China’s long-term intentions, adding that they reinforced the Philippine government’s assessment that Beijing seeks greater control over the region.

READ: Chinese academics claim Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan

“It also validates what we’ve been saying — that they have the plan to control the whole Pacific Ocean,” he said.

He urged academics worldwide to reject the theory, saying it should not be allowed to gain legitimacy.

“All academics in the world should throw [and] douse cold water already on this theory,” he said.

PH presence in Batanes

Teodoro also said the Philippines already maintains a substantial presence in Batanes, indicating there was no immediate need for additional deployments. Instead, he said, the reported claims were more likely to strengthen opposition to China among the Ivatan people than advance Beijing’s interests.

“This will galvanize the Ivatan people against them,” Teodoro said. “If there is strengthening of anti-China efforts, they have only themselves to blame.”

The defense chief was reacting to a report flagged earlier Thursday by maritime transparency initiative SeaLight about a June 30 symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou.

READ: Taiwan warns China ‘expansionism’ to persist without global action

According to a report published by Jinan University and carried by Guangdong-based news outlet Newsgd, participants at the symposium argued that the Philippines has no historical or legal basis for administering Batanes, describing the islands as a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan and asserting that sovereignty belongs to China.

SeaLight said the symposium appeared to be part of what it described as a broader “lawfare” strategy, using legal and academic narratives to reinforce China’s territorial claims. It also noted that Chinese authorities have not publicly endorsed the symposium’s conclusions.

Batanes is the Philippines’ northernmost province, located between Luzon and Taiwan along the strategically important Bashi Channel. /dl

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