Chinese academics make a claim that the Philippine province of Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan, according to reports cited by maritime transparency initiative SeaLight. SeaLight says the claim emerged from a symposium held on June 30 in Guangzhou, hosted by Jinan University. SeaLight’s statement, issued Thursday, says the event involved researchers from Chinese universities and research institutions. SeaLight adds that the symposium’s published conclusions argue that the Philippines’ administration of Batanes lacks historical and legal basis. SeaLight describes this as an apparent “lawfare” effort to advance a new legal narrative regarding the strategically located island province. The reports reference a Jinan University publication connected to the symposium, which is carried by a Guangdong-based news outlet. The articles do not indicate that the symposium’s conclusions have changed existing international legal positions or Philippine control over Batanes, but they do frame the development as a new public assertion by Chinese academic actors that SeaLight says warrants attention. The reports present the claim and SeaLight’s reaction without detailing the specific arguments or evidence cited by the academics.