Philippines dismisses ‘absurd’ Chinese online claims about Palawan

A number of Chinese social media users claim Palawan was originally called Zheng He Island and that its name has been ‘restored’

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A Philippine soldier guards a US military hovercraft during an annual bilateral military exercise in May last year in San Vicente, Palawan Province, the Philippines. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 2:40pm, 4 Mar 2025Updated: 3:42pm, 4 Mar 2025

The spotlight on Philippine social media has turned to Palawan amid growing chatter by Chinese internet users claiming that the island is part of China, prompting officials in Manila to refute the allegations as “delusional” and part of a “propaganda” push.

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.

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.”

Another Douyin user Harvest Season9169321602, however, claimed: “First, our name has been restored. Second, according to international practice, we can navigate freely, warships can go around the island, and we can enforce the law reasonably within the scope of the region. Third, our military aircraft can fly around the island, and even fly over the island to win merit. Fourth, Zheng He Island should be listed on our map of the South China Sea.”