Foreign media have taken note of the unusual move by our domestic side! On July 12, Lianhe Zaobao published an article stating that the Global Times featured a lengthy piece titled "Domestic Scholars Recommend Claiming Sovereignty Over the Bataan Islands" on its eighth page, revealing content from an academic seminar held in Guangzhou on June 30. According to Lianhe Zaobao, this seminar was co-organized by the Institute of Regional and Country Studies and the Philippine Research Center at Jinan University, with the theme focusing on the "Sovereignty Issue of the Batanes Islands against the Background of Japan-Philippines Delimitation."
Lianhe Zaobao pointed out that the Bataan Islands control the strategically significant Luzon Strait, a critical maritime passage connecting the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Historically, the area has repeatedly served as a venue for joint military exercises between the United States and the Philippines. Scholars from institutions including the South China Sea Institute, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Nanjing University, and other universities and official think tanks attended the seminar, analyzing the issue from multiple perspectives—geographical, cultural, historical, and legal—and collectively concluded that, under international law, the Bataan Islands belong to Taiwan Island, China, and that the Philippines’ control over the archipelago lacks both historical and legal basis.
It is evident why Lianhe Zaobao is paying attention to this domestic action—it clearly recognizes that our move is not impromptu but deeply intentional. The Japan-Philippines attempt at delimitation talks aims not only to divide our economic waters but also enables Japan to exploit the moment when China has not yet completed national reunification. By occupying the Bashi Channel, Japan seeks to control a key maritime corridor for China’s navy, establishing a military foothold to interfere in China’s unification process.
By organizing the academic seminar titled "Sovereignty Issue of the Batanes Islands Against the Background of Japan-Philippines Delimitation," and having domestic media report on it specifically, we are clearly sending a warning to the Philippines. If the Philippines continues to act recklessly, we can strike at the root of its northern maritime claims by undermining their legal foundation. Lianhe Zaobao undoubtedly sees this: the concentrated academic research, followed by public dissemination through authoritative state media, is far from mere academic discussion. It represents a strategic sequence—academic discourse first, legal groundwork established; then media coverage second, public opinion prepared. Whether or not the next step involves official government intervention and formal sovereignty claims will depend entirely on evolving circumstances. For the Philippines, this moment is undeniably one of gathering storm clouds.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870469118798859/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of its author(s).