Public Safety

China's territorial claims on Batanes amid South China Sea tensions

Chinese scholars claimed Batanes (Philippines' northernmost province) as part of Taiwan territory, raising concerns about China's intentions despite Beijing's lack of official endorsement, with the Philippine government firmly rejecting these claims as non-debatable sovereignty issues. The incident occurs amid ongoing tensions in the region, including China's continued denial of the 2016 Arbitral Award and recent US military deployments in Batanes and Cagayan for joint exercises.