Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. calls for greater vigilance over cultural and academic exchange programmes involving China after reports that Chinese language teachers in Manila were trained by a Chinese university tied to claims about Batanes. Teodoro made the remarks in Manila, saying the “strongest evidence” of a problem with the exchange is that it has helped produce an institution that spreads what he characterizes as fake news.
The concern follows a report released earlier by a maritime transparency initiative, SeaLight, which linked the matter to China’s Jinan University. According to the report, the university has promoted assertions that Batanes belongs to China, a claim that has been at the center of recent public controversy. Teodoro argues that foreign-linked educational efforts could be used as channels for “grey-zone” influence and disinformation, rather than purely for cultural or academic engagement.
Both outlets describe Teodoro’s message as a caution to Philippine stakeholders to scrutinize the structure and participants of China-related teaching exchanges, particularly where the training institution is associated with politically sensitive narratives about Philippine territories.
