By Val Panlilio | 2025-03-13

Philippine officials have denounced a surge in Chinese social media posts in recent weeks falsely claiming that the nation's Palawan island was historically part of China.

Initially propagated on Rednote (Xiaohongshu), the false claim alleges that Palawan was once named "Zheng He Island" after the 15th-century Chinese explorer.

While the Chinese government makes no such claim, the post gained traction on TikTok, prompting widespread criticism from users and authorities in the Philippines.

On February 28, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) condemned and swiftly debunked the claim.

"There exists no evidence to support the settlement of a permanent Chinese population in Palawan which has been continuously populated since 50,000 years ago through archeological data," the NHCP said in a statement.

No state can use questionable historical data to assert claims over Philippine territory, it added.

Such narratives are part of a broader disinformation campaign designed to manipulate public perception and undermine Philippine sovereignty, say officials.

The posts are part of China's "cognitive warfare," said Alexander Lopez, spokesperson for the National Maritime Council.

"They (the Chinese) are trying to shape the minds of the people -- internal audience, external audience -- so that the opinion would shift in their favor,” he said, according to the Inquirer.

Palawan, which is situated on the western edge of the Philippines, controls access to the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea.

China claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

Beijing has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to bar Manila from crucial reefs and islands in the South China Sea, leading to a string of confrontations in recent months.

Employing propaganda

While the international ruling invalidated China's sweeping territorial claims, Beijing has pushed alternative historical narratives through state-backed and grassroots digital campaigns.

China is likely using social media to reinforce its unfounded claims over the South China Sea, said Dennis Coronacion, a political scientist at the University of Santo Tomas.

While making claims is simple, substantiating them with evidence is challenging, as China has repeatedly failed to provide historical proof of its dominion over these areas, he told Focus.

He described China's approach as two-pronged: engaging in "gray warfare" through aggressive yet technically non-warlike actions in contested waters and employing propaganda via social media to undermine Philippine leadership and create public confusion.

Philippine officials have reaffirmed their commitment to countering disinformation and strengthening historical education.

Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine navy's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, dismissed China's claim as "baseless" and "totally absurd."

Palawan has always been an integral part of Philippine territory, he said, according to the Daily Tribune.

"These claims are not just historically inaccurate but represent a dangerous pattern of territorial aggression masked as historical rights," Neri Colmenares, a former congressman and chairperson of the Bayan Muna partylist, told the Inquirer.

He called on the country's coast guard to increase patrols and for more joint patrols with other claimants in the area.