The Armed Forces of the Philippines has categorically rejected claims by a group of Chinese academics that Batanes is part of Taiwan and therefore belongs to China, describing the assertion as an attempt to advance Beijing’s influence through the information domain.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the claim was another example of China’s “salami-slicing” strategy, in which seemingly isolated statements or actions are gradually used to establish a broader political position.
“The AFP categorically dismisses and rejects the statement by a group of academics from mainland China that Batanes is part of Taiwan and thus part of China,” Trinidad said.
“This is another attempt at malign influence. It is salami-slicing in the information domain,” he added.
Trinidad said the Philippine military had already strengthened its defensive posture in Batanes and other strategic areas even before the academics issued their statement.
He said the AFP had intensified its presence throughout the country under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which shifts the military’s focus toward external defense and the protection of the country’s maritime territory.
“Long before this false claim came out, the AFP had already heightened its posture all over the country,” Trinidad said.
He added that the military had increased its presence not only in the northern islands but also in the West Philippine Sea, where it continuously monitors Bajo de Masinloc and other outlying features and fishing grounds.
Chinese silence questioned
Trinidad also urged the Chinese Embassy in Manila and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify whether Beijing supports the academics’ claim.
He warned that the failure of Chinese authorities to reject the statement could allow it to develop from an unofficial academic position into a semi-official or official policy of the Chinese Communist Party.
“In an autocratic state, nothing happens in isolation,” Trinidad said.
He explained that using academics to advance a position could initially be considered a “Track 2” initiative involving non-government actors.
Without any official pushback, however, Trinidad said the assertion could evolve into a “Track 1.5” position involving both official and unofficial actors before eventually becoming the Chinese government’s formal stand.
“This is an attempt to desensitize the international community. Without any pushback, it could soon become the stand of the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
Asked whether Chinese authorities should immediately address the issue, Trinidad said: “They should issue a statement on that.”
No increased Chinese activity near Batanes
Despite the controversial claim, Trinidad said the AFP had not detected any recent change in the posture of the People’s Liberation Army Navy or the China Coast Guard near Batanes.
He said no unusual flybys or increase in Chinese vessel movements had been monitored in connection with the academics’ statement.
However, Philippine authorities have occasionally monitored Chinese research vessels passing through Philippine waters using unauthorized routes near the northern islands.
Trinidad said these vessels had been monitored and challenged by the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
He clarified that the unauthorized passages had occurred intermittently over the past three years and could not yet be linked to the recent Batanes claim.
“It is too early to say if they are related to the claim by the academics,” he said.
The AFP has also not monitored any espionage cases in Batanes, although Trinidad said the military’s internal threat monitoring program remains in effect.
AFP operations grounded in international law
Trinidad said China had historically carried out coercive and aggressive activities through the People’s Liberation Army Navy, China Coast Guard and maritime militia.
He said the Philippines, in contrast, chose a peaceful and rules-based approach when it brought its maritime case against China before an international arbitral tribunal.
On July 12, 2016, the tribunal invalidated China’s expansive maritime claims and ruled that they had no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“History will tell us that it has been the Chinese Communist Party creating trouble in this part of the globe—not the Philippines,” Trinidad said.
He said AFP operations in the West Philippine Sea had become more firmly grounded in international law following the arbitral ruling.
“The arbitral tribunal ruling is a legal landmark. It is lasting, and it will be referred to by legal luminaries in the years to come,” he said.
Trinidad added that the AFP would continue accelerating its modernization program and strengthening its public communication efforts through its Mulat communication plan and transparency initiative.
AFP prepared to defend Philippine territory
Asked whether the AFP could defend the Pag-asa Island airfield against a possible attempt by hostile forces to seize it, Trinidad said the military was prepared to protect every part of the country.
“Your AFP is prepared to defend the Republic—not only Pag-asa Island. Any part of the country, the AFP is prepared to defend our sovereignty,” he said.
Trinidad also dismissed concerns that the proximity of Chinese forces near Subi Reef had intimidated Philippine troops.
“We have never felt threatened,” he said.
“The AFP has proven time and again that we are up to the challenge. We are a peace-loving organization, but we are prepared to defend our sovereignty.”