MANILA, July 9 (Reuters) - The defence minister of the Philippines on Thursday rejected as "baseless" and "ludicrous" **** ertions by Chinese scholars that its northernmost island-chain province belongs to Beijing, calling the claim concerning and worthy of challenge.
Chinese state-run news site GDToday reported on July 2 that scholars from institutions including Nanjing University argued at a June 30 symposium that Batanes was a natural extension of Taiwan and therefore belonged to China.
Beijing has not formally endorsed that position.
The **** ertions may add a new dimension to long-running tensions between Manila and Beijing, which are already embroiled in multiple disputes over islands and features in the South China Sea.
"I view this, once again, as probably a signal of a preconceived intention," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters.
Chinese state-run news site GDToday reported on July 2 that scholars from institutions including Nanjing University argued at a June 30 symposium that Batanes was a natural extension of Taiwan and therefore belonged to China.
Beijing has not formally endorsed that position.
The **** ertions may add a new dimension to long-running tensions between Manila and Beijing, which are already embroiled in multiple disputes over islands and features in the South China Sea.
"I view this, once again, as probably a signal of a preconceived intention," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters.
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