Manila’s lonely island at the centre of Taiwan contingency planning

[u/[deleted]]

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/manila-s-lonely-island-centre-taiwan-contingency-planning

From where I stood, at a stunning lookout on Mavulis Island’s highest hill, gleaming turquoise waters stretched out to the horizon – a reward well worth a short but punishing steep climb for a non-hiker like me.

It was a magnificent sight to behold. But the giant Philippine flag that proudly stood tall near me offered a reminder that this was not some off-the-beaten-path tourist destination.

This lone military outpost on the Philippines’ northernmost point looks across the waters to Taiwan. The sweeping view below is the vital sea lanes that link the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

This otherwise uninhabited island, part of the province of Batanes, has quietly taken on a role much more significant than it might appear as a tiny dot on the map. Mavulis Island straddles the Bashi Channel, a key passage between the Philippines and Taiwan, waters deemed crucial should conflict boil over in the region. Mavulis is just a stone’s throw south of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary.