AFP to China: Do you uphold, reject Batanes claim?

ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday categorically denied claims that Batanes is an extension of Taiwan and urged both the Chinese Embassy and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify whether they endorse or reject the scholars' statements. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman for the West Philippines Sea (WPS) stressed the importance of issuing a strong pushback from the Chinese government itself to clarify their position as silence eventually leads such such statements to become an official party stand. "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. This is one attempt to desensitize the international community. Without any pushback, it will soon become the stand of the Chinese Communist Party," Trinidad told reporters in a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo. (If they truly have nothing to do with it. This is one attempt to desensitize the international community. Without any pushback, it will soon become the official position of the Chinese Communist Party.) "They should give up a statement on that," Trinidad said. Trinidad said such a statement is yet another attempt at maligned influence. He however assured that even before it came out, the AFP had already intensified its posture not only the Batanes islands but all over the archipelago because of the advent of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC). Even with such pronouncement by some Chinese scholars, Trinidad said there had been no monitored changes in the posture of the Chinese navy coast guard over Batanes. "Their illegal presence is still there. The continuing pushback of the AFP, the Coast Guard, BFAR has been relentless against their illegal presence," Trinidad said. There has also been no monitored cases of espionage around Batanes, Trinidad said. At a recent symposium at the Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, Chinese academics 'unanimously concluded' that the Batanes Islands are a 'natural geographical extension of Taiwan' - and because Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, they argued sovereignty over Batanes belongs to China as well. This statement sparked strong condemnations and pushbacks from Philippine authorities including Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the AFP, the National Maritime Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs among others. Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio issued a challenge to China to bring their latest claim to the International Court of Justice arbitration if they really believe their stand on Batanes. Since the issue came out, there has been no official response from the Chinese authorities clarifying whether they support or deny such claims.