Ports, power, and presence: How to defend Batanes from China
On June 30, Chinese scholars gathered at Jinan University and argued that Batanes, the Philippines' northernmost province, was a natural extension of Taiwan, and China's state-run Global Times amplified the argument, quoting scholars who called for regular Chinese Coast Guard patrols and stronger countermeasures around the province. The Philippine Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs rejected these claims as baseless. The article notes that CCG vessels were monitored east, west, and north of Batanes in August 2025, and argues that the United States, the Philippines, and regional partners should invest in ports, fuel storage, cold chain facilities, power generation, communications, and transportation infrastructure in the province.
Why it matters: The episode illustrates the gray zone operations theme, in which historical narratives lay the political groundwork for coercive presence and later sovereignty claims before physical measures intensify.