AFP says monitoring presence of Chinese vessels in Batanes
Published Jul 14, 2026 02:48 pm
At A Glance
- The Armed Forces of te Philippines (AFP) confirmed that Chinese research vessels have been making recurring unauthorized passages near Batanes for the past three years, but said these activities are not linked to recent claims by Chinese scholars that the island province belongs to China.
- AFP spokesperson retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad rejected the scholars' assertion as "salami slicing" in the information domain and urged Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to publicly disavow the claim before it evolves into an official Chinese government position.
- The military also reported monitoring 24 Chinese vessels across four key features in the West Philippine Sea from July 7 to 13, with the largest concentration of ships observed at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).
Sabtang, Batanes (File photo)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday, July 14, confirmed the persistent presence of Chinese research vessels near Batanes even as it dismissed recent claims by Chinese academics that the northernmost province of the Philippines is part of Taiwan and, by extension, China.
Retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), clarified that while these maritime incursions have been ongoing for three years, they are unrelated to the recent academic statements.
“The illegal presence that we monitor every now and then is the passing through the illegal tracks of the research vessels which are being monitored and challenged by the Philippine Coast Guard and by BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources],” Trinidad said.
“It’s not in any way related to the claim of the academics,” he added.
The assertion by Chinese scholars regarding Batanes emerged from a symposium held on June 30 in Guangzhou, China where academics from several Chinese institutions argued that Batanes is a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan.
They claimed that since Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, Batanes should also fall under Chinese territory.
The issue became public after Chinese state-affiliated media reported the scholars' statements in early July.
Authorities have repeatedly reported the presence of Chinese research vessels near Batanes. In 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) monitored the research vessel Zhong Shan Da Xue off Itbayat and later tracked Xiang Yang Hong 10, Zhuhai Yun, and other Chinese research ships that entered the country's exclusive economic zone without authorization.
In May this year, the PCG again deployed ships and aircraft to monitor and challenge Xiangyanghong 33, Shi Yan 1, Jia Geng, and Zhuhaiyun, which are specialized platforms designed for advanced maritime operations, while allegedly conducting illegal marine scientific research in Batanes.
Manila has long maintained its sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone, a position validated by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling. That landmark decision invalidated China’s expansive historical claims under its so-called “nine-dash line.”
Claiming Batanes
Trinidad categorized the Chinese academic narrative as a form of “salami slicing’ in the information domain—a strategy of using small, incremental actions to achieve a larger objective. He warned that if left unchallenged by the Chinese government, such rhetoric could eventually harden into an official state policy.
“In an autocratic state, nothing happens in isolation. The approach of utilizing a group of academics to give out a stand could be considered a track 2 event. If there is no pushback to this, this will become a semi-party or semi-state stand or 1.5 track,” Trinidad explained.
He further urged the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify its position, saying “It is very important that statements like this should be answered not only by the embassy but by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs kung talagang wala silang kinalaman dyan (If they truly have nothing to do with it).”
This is one attempt at desensitizing the international community. Without any pushback, it will soon become the stand of the Chinese Communist Party,” he added.
The AFP emphasized that it has already shifted its focus toward external defense under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) to secure the country’s maritime borders, including the Batanes group of islands, regardless of specific provocations.
“Even before this statement from the academics came out, your AFP has already intensified its posture not only on the Batanes group of islands but all over the country with an outward-looking posture because of the advent of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept,” Trinidad stated.
Chinese vessels in WPS
Meanwhile, the AFP monitored 24 Chinese vessels across key features in the WPS during its weekly monitoring from July 7 to 13.
Most of them were spotted in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) with 13 China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels.
In Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, there were four CCG vessels while two CCG vessels and two People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-Navy ships were monitored in Pag-asa (Thitu) Island. There were also two CCG vessels and one PLA-Navy ship in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal.