South China Sea: Philippines’ Batanes province in spotlight again as Taiwan war spectre looms amid drills

Officials of Batanes, a province in the Philippines’ northernmost tip facing Taiwan, say they have a game plan in place since last year to prepare for any conflict in the Taiwan Strait amid ongoing military drills by mainland China in the area.

Vice-Governor Ignacio Villa told This Week in Asia that the province, less than 200km (124 miles) from the self-ruled island, had contingency measures.

While he did not reveal specific details, the highlight would be the setting up of a “tent city” to accommodate thousands of refugees should tensions blow up.

“If mainland China takes over Taiwan, some people there might escape towards Batanes and that’s what we are preparing for,” Villa said, noting any such population influx would only be a “stopover” and “the bulk of the humanitarian response would be addressed by Manila”.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. While many nations, including the US, do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state, they oppose any use of force to alter the existing status quo.

Villa said the situation for now across the island remained normal and there was no deep concern over the latest drills, Beijing’s most extensive exercises in recent years around Taiwan.

In 2022, China held large-scale, live-fire manoeuvres in response to then-US speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.

He said some residents had been for months undergoing reservist training with government security forces as only limited personnel from the Philippine navy, marines and coastguard were stationed on the island.

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Surrounded by 4,500 sq km (1,737 square miles) of sea, Batanes is the smallest province in