The Armed Forces of the Philippines has urged the Chinese government to officially clarify its position on claims by Chinese academics that Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan.
At a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad reiterated the military’s categorical rejection of the assertion.
“It is very important that statements like this should be answered not only by the Chinese Embassy but also by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if they really have nothing to do with this,” Trinidad said.
“They should issue a statement on that,” he added.
During a symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou on June 30, Chinese scholars reportedly claimed that the Batanes island group is part of China by way of Taiwan.
The academics argued that Batanes is a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
“First and foremost, the AFP categorically dismisses and rejects the statements by a group of academics from mainland China that Batanes is part of Taiwan and thus part of China,” Trinidad said.
He warned that the use of academics to advance such a claim could be part of a broader effort to gradually establish it as an official Chinese position.
“In an autocratic state, nothing happens in isolation. The approach of utilizing a group of academics to give out a stand could be considered a Track 2 event,” Trinidad said.
He said the claim could eventually evolve into a “semi-party or semi-state position” if Chinese authorities fail to reject it.
“Without any pushback, it will soon become the stand of the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
Trinidad said the AFP had not detected any increase in Chinese military or maritime activity near Batanes following the academics’ statements.
“So far, there have been no monitored changes in the posture of the People’s Liberation Army Navy or the China Coast Guard around Batanes,” he said.
However, Trinidad said Philippine authorities have intermittently monitored Chinese research vessels passing through the area without authorization over the past three years.
He clarified that these activities could not be linked to the recent claims.
“These unauthorized passages by Chinese research vessels have been occurring for the past three years. They are in no way related to the academics’ claim,” Trinidad said.
The AFP spokesperson declined to comment on retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s challenge for China to bring its claim before an international tribunal.
Trinidad said the matter should be left to the government’s legal experts.
“What is very clear is that the AFP’s position is that the national territory is clearly delineated in our Constitution. It is our mandate to ensure the integrity of the national territory,” he said.