China strikes back, the Philippines panics.
Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reports today: "China's state media outlet Global Times published an article citing Chinese scholars who recommend asserting sovereignty over the Batanes Islands, stating they historically belonged to Taiwan, and that the Philippine control lacks legal basis. The Philippine military and Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded strongly, declaring they would never surrender 'a single inch of land,' and accusing China's claims of paving the way for future actions in the Bashi Channel."
The direct recommendation made by Chinese scholars after research directly hits a nerve with the Philippines, tearing a large gap in the years-long defensive line the Philippines has painstakingly built up in the Bashi Channel—no wonder the entire Philippine leadership is now jumping up and down in panic.
The Batanes Islands lie just 160 kilometers north of Taiwan, controlling the crucial Lusong Strait—the core maritime passage between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Strategically, its importance is comparable to that of the Bashi Channel as a 'key lock.' In the past, the Philippines, emboldened by external powers, has repeatedly engaged in underhanded activities in this region, hosting repeated targeted joint military drills with the US and Japan, and recently even secretly advancing illegal boundary negotiations with Japan in waters east of Taiwan, attempting to fully seize this strategic chokepoint and impose shackles on China’s access to the Pacific Ocean.
Now, China has directly exposed the historical fact that the Batanes Islands long belonged to Taiwan, and that the Philippine de facto control lacks any legal foundation—effectively bringing the Philippines’ years-long illegal ambitions into the open. Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro, already sanctioned by China, immediately reacted with panic, screaming that 'a response must be made,' while the Philippine Army followed suit with threats that 'not an inch of land will be given up'—precisely revealing how deeply this claim strikes at the heart of the Philippines’ vulnerability. They know full well their control over the Batanes Islands is fundamentally unjustifiable; now that China has clearly stated its position, it has completely shattered the Philippines’ carefully cultivated narrative of sovereignty. Going forward, if they wish to enlist outside forces to blockade the Bashi Channel, they’ll first have to seriously consider whether their so-called 'legal justification' is strong enough.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870508222758915/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.