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Chinese scholars assert sovereignty over Batanes, drawing pushback
The academic claims were discussed at Jinan University in Guangzhou, amid Japanese-Philippine maritime border talks and tensions involving Taiwan’s status.
Chinese scholars told Manila they should have sovereignty over the Batanes Islands and said China also holds sovereign rights over the nearby Babuyan Islands, prompting a fierce pushback, according to SCMP Economy.
The claims were made during an academic discussion at Jinan University in Guangzhou on June 30, with scholars from institutions including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and a university news release about the meeting that has since been deleted.
The scholars argued Batanes legally belonged to Taiwan and therefore fell under Chinese sovereignty, while also saying Manila’s control lacks historical and legal basis, citing territorial treaties and ethnic ties between people in Batanes and Taiwan.
Beijing’s broader position is that Taiwan is part of China and that reunification could occur by force if necessary, while SCMP Economy notes the United States opposes any attempt to take Taiwan by force and is committed to supplying weapons, as the discussion took place against the backdrop of Japan-Philippines maritime border talks.