PH agencies blast ‘ludicrous’ Chinese academic claim over Batanes 

Philippine authorities have rejected revisionist claims made by Chinese university researchers asserting that Batanes belongs to China, declaring that the country’s sovereignty over its northernmost province is historically settled and non-negotiable. 

The pushbacks follow assertions made by academics during a June 30 symposium at Jinan University in Guangzhou.

Meanwhile, the researchers also argued that Batanes is geographically connected to Taiwan and was formerly governed by Taiwan Prefecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties. They asserted that China, via Taiwan, should own the islands.

In separate statements, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) dismissed the claims as it is completely devoid of historical and legal merit. . 

The DFA pointed to China’s own diplomatic contradictions, noting that the Philippine-approved consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag includes Batanes, which it said recognizes the province as part of Philippine territory.

“Flights of fancy should not be dignified with a response. Nevertheless, the Philippines’ sovereignty over Batanes is settled and not up for debate,” they stated.

The department added that the country has no room for territorial revisionism and urged the scholars to focus on sincere, evidence-based research.

Meanwhile, the NHCP maintained that Philippine sovereignty over Batanes is backed by historical documents, archaeological discoveries, and geological evidence.

Satellite and oceanographic data show a continuous continental shelf stretching from Northern Luzon through the Babuyan and Batanes Islands, rather than down from Taiwan.

The commission also cited British explorer William Dampier’s 1687 logs, which recorded no trace of Chinese governance. . 

It added that the Ivatan people had established communities and maritime trade networks long before Spanish colonization.

“Like a post that circulated in social media in 2025 over Palawan, these ‘claims’ have no rational basis in substantive research and operate from evident bad faith,” the NHCP stated. 

The commission detailed that Spain officially incorporated Batanes into the Province of Cagayan in 1783. (Unahin mo to kasi naf-mention ka ng spain sa taas) 

The islands’ historical ties to the republic were further cemented by local resistance, including the Aman Dangat uprising (1785–1791) and active Ivatan participation in the 1896 Philippine Revolution. 

The NHCP also dismissed any notion that Japan could have transferred Batanes to China after World War II, noting the province was completely liberated from Japanese forces by early 1945. into the Province of Cagayan in 1783.

The commission denied that Japan could have moved Batanes to China following World War II, citing the fact that the province had already been freed from Japanese rule by early 1945.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also joined the denunciation describing the theory as unfounded and urging the global academic community to reject the narrative before it gains wider acceptance.

“We should not allow this to go unresponded to. All academics in the world should douse cold water already on this theory. Kalokohan na ‘yan eh,” the secretary emphasized.