Philippine Defense Chief Names 'Jinan University' Over Batanes Sovereignty Dispute, Warns of Cognitive Warfare

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. stated on the 29th in Manila that reports indicate Chinese-language teachers in the country's capital have been trained by a Chinese university previously involved in the sovereignty dispute over the Batanes Islands. He urged the Philippine government to heighten vigilance toward all academic exchange programs linked to China. Teodoro warned that such foreign-funded educational initiatives often conceal 'gray-zone' activities, providing Beijing with opportunities to conduct disinformation campaigns and cognitive warfare against the Philippines.

His remarks stem from a recent investigative report by the research group SeaLight. The report reveals that Jinan University, located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and effectively under the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department, serves as the 'single largest training hub' for Chinese teachers in Philippine Chinese-language schools. According to SeaLight, Jinan University maintains close political ties with Beijing and collaborates extensively with other CCP-backed external organizations. Through teacher training, curriculum design, language certification, and employment support, it actively shapes and reshapes the Philippine Chinese-language education system. In SeaLight's assessment, Jinan University functions as a foreign infiltration entity 'cloaked in academic guise.'

The university is based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and falls under the United Front Work Department of the CCP. (Source: Jinan University official website)

Teodoro views these exchanges as problematic, with the most compelling evidence being their connection to institutions that deliberately spread false news and misinformation. Last month, Jinan University hosted a seminar on the sovereignty of Batanes, the northernmost administrative region of the Philippines. During the event, scholars argued that Beijing should assert sovereignty over the islands, claiming they constitute a 'natural extension of Taiwan.' This move was quickly exposed by the media and immediately drew strong condemnation from Manila.

The Batanes Islands lie in the Bashi Strait between Taiwan and the Philippine island of Luzon. They form the northernmost and smallest province of the Philippines, holding critical strategic importance. The Philippine government swiftly rejected the claims, reaffirming that its sovereignty over Batanes has long been established and is indisputable.

The province consists of three major islands—Batan, Sabtang, and Itbayat—along with numerous smaller islets and maritime features. (Photo: Provincial Capitol Building of Batanes, taken by Central News Agency reporter Lin Xingjian in Basco Town, Batanes, June 26, 2016)

In response to perceived threats from Beijing, Teodoro emphasized that while the Philippines does not oppose legitimate international academic exchanges, domestic academic institutions must undergo stricter scrutiny to reduce national security risks and prevent exploitation. 'I'm not saying we should stop exchanging with them (China), but during these exchanges, we must be actively aware of potentially ulterior motives behind them,' he said.

Tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea continue to escalate. Teodoro, having repeatedly criticized Beijing in public, was himself placed on China's sanctions list in June.