Palawan Or Zheng He Island? China's Social Media Claim Stirs Outrage

China's territorial disputes, ranging from Arunachal Pradesh to the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and the Paracel Islands, continue to spark controversy. Recently, the focus shifted to the Philippine province of Palawan, located in the MIMAROPA region, as Chinese internet users began claiming the island as part of China. These claims have gained attention on social media, leading officials in Manila to strongly deny the allegations, labeling them as "delusional" and a part of China's ongoing "propaganda" campaign.

According to the South China Morning Post, Filipino social media users were outraged by posts on platforms such as Douyin and RedNote, circulating since January, that claimed Palawan - located in western Philippines - was originally called Zheng He Island, named after the famous Chinese explorer.

Other Chinese social media users falsely claimed that Palawan's name had been "restored" by their government to Zheng He Island last month.

One content creator named Travel Brother on Chinese social media platform Douyin has racked up nearly 14,000 likes for his video in which he claimed: "Historically, Palawan Island belongs to China. The reason we lost it is because of our lack of strength."

China has not staked a claim on Palawan, which is more than 1,500km from its nearest territory.

China was circulating a delusional propaganda that the Island of Palawan in the Philippines is theirs. Now this is how the People of the Philippines strikes back by giving a taste of China's own medicine. https://t.co/UKNm2OnAhs — BRP Sierra Madre (@BRPSierraMadre) March 1, 2025

PHILIPPINES REJECTS CHINA'S BASELESS OVER PALAWAN

The Philippines strongly condemns and refutes recent claims circulating on Chinese social media suggesting that Palawan belongs to China. These assertions are completely false, historically inaccurate, and legally baseless.… https://t.co/0Zmx6NQkXv — BRP Sierra Madre (@BRPSierraMadre) March 1, 2025

Dismissing the claims of the Chinese internet users, an X account called BRP Sierra Madre posted: "Let's be clear: Palawan has been, is, and will always be part of the Philippines. It is not disputed. It is not up for debate. It is internationally recognised as sovereign Philippine territory - something even Beijing's aggressive cartography can't change."

According to the Philippine news agency, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Ano on Tuesday called Chinese claims that Palawan was historically part of China "baseless and revisionist."

"We categorically reject the baseless and revisionist claims circulating on Chinese social media that Palawan was historically part of China and should be returned to it," Ano said in a statement.

"Palawan has always been and will always remain an integral part of the Republic of the Philippines. No historical record, legal precedent nor credible evidence support the claim that Palawan was ever under Chinese sovereignty," he added.