China's Batanes claim part of 'malign influence campaign,' says AFP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said the recent Chinese narrative claiming Batanes is part of a broader and coordinated foreign malign influence campaign. At a press briefing, AFP spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the Batanes claim is synchronized with narratives involving Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal. “Let us not look at this as isolated incidents. These are all synchronized, persistent efforts of foreign malign influence to show to the public, first and foremost, and to the world that the AFP and the government have failed to secure and to protect our sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Trinidad said. GMA News Online has sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila about the matter but the office has yet to provide a statement as of posting time. Trinidad said the narratives are designed to shape public perception and sow confusion. Such narratives came from “a group of academics from mainland China,” according to Trinidad. He also said the AFP has observed deceptive messaging focusing on Batanes, Bajo de Masinloc, and Ayungin Shoal, alongside coercive and aggressive actions by Chinese military aircraft and the presence of Chinese research vessels. The AFP spokesperson warned that such foreign malign influence activities have been increasing and could continue to escalate through 2028. Trinidad said the Philippines should continue responding to every false narrative. He added these Chinese activities have not weakened the AFP's resolve to continue its patrols and other operations in the disputed areas. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim. The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision. — BAP, GMA News