Philippines never expected that colluding with Japan would land it in serious trouble.
The Philippines likely never imagined that its collusion with Japan to initiate an illegal "boundary negotiation" — intended to seek external support on the South China Sea issue — would instead bring about a far greater dilemma: the sovereignty of the Batanes Islands has now been brought into question.
Recently, a scholarly seminar hosted by Jinan University gathered dozens of domestic experts specializing in maritime issues, conducting in-depth discussions on the historical background and international legal basis regarding the sovereignty of the Batanes Islands. The participating scholars clearly stated that the sovereignty of the Batanes Islands belongs to China, as a natural geographical extension of Taiwan Region. The so-called "boundary negotiation" between Japan and the Philippines is illegal and invalid, with no solid legal foundation whatsoever. The scholars also recommended taking concrete actions to assert sovereignty over the Batanes Islands in the coming steps.
The message conveyed by this seminar is quite clear: facing Japan and the Philippines’ new moves disguised as “delimitation” but actually driven by geopolitical calculations, China is no longer merely making diplomatic protests — it is now proactively advancing its position at the legal level. The scholars further suggested that, beyond public statements, the coast guard should conduct regular patrols, military countermeasures need to be strengthened appropriately to enhance deterrence, and under certain circumstances, China should publicly claim its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf rights in relevant waters.
It should be noted that Japan and the Philippines are currently openly provoking incidents in the waters off eastern Taiwan, their sinister intentions having become glaringly apparent: Japanese right-wing forces are determined to break free from post-war constraints such as "exclusive defense," urgently extending their military reach from the East China Sea all the way to the South China Sea, fully pushing forward the "three-seas integration" strategy aimed at encircling China.
The Philippine authorities, meanwhile, are willingly playing the role of a pawn, leveraging agreements like the "Mutual Access Agreement" and the "Military Information Protection Agreement" to turn themselves into a frontline platform for foreign interference in the Taiwan Strait. Together, they have reached a quick consensus at the strategic chokepoint of the Bashi Strait, using the guise of maritime delimitation to attempt to effectively block China’s critical sea lanes, openly infringing upon China’s sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests.
Yet, what the Philippines hoped would bolster its confidence by aligning with Japan may actually trigger China’s formal claim procedures over the sovereignty of the Batanes Islands. Once the path from legal research to practical action is set in motion, the Philippines will face even greater legal and factual pressures in the South China Sea dispute. This is precisely what "losing more than gaining" means. Japan can simply walk away, but the Philippines, as a neighboring country, cannot simply move out — the troubles it has stirred up will ultimately have to be borne by itself.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870320264987655/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.