Philippines rejects Chinese scholars' Batanes claim

On July 9, 2020, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro rejected as 'baseless' and 'ludicrous' assertions by Chinese scholars from Nanjing University that the northernmost island province of Philippines — Batanes belongs to China. The scholars argued at a June 30 symposium that Philippines — Batanes is a natural extension of Taiwan. Beijing has not formally endorsed the claim. The incident adds to tensions between the Philippines and China over South China Sea disputes. Philippines — Batanes is strategically located along the Luzon Strait, a key passage linking the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and has hosted joint military exercises with the United States. China previously sanctioned Teodoro over his remarks. The scholars' comments came after the Philippines and Japan announced talks on maritime boundary delimitation, which China criticized.