Japan-Philippines EEZ Delimitation Talks: Taiwan Security Official Warns of China's Cognitive Warfare Using Fake Maps

(CNA reporter Wen Guixiang, Taipei, 5th) A national security official stated today that after Japan and the Philippines recently announced the start of negotiations on Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf delimitation, China has been using altered map data and false information to push narratives such as "Japan and the Philippines carving up Taiwan's waters" and "sovereignty infringement." Fact-checking shows that the map circulating online is not an official document but is based on data from a US think tank, with Taiwan-related layers deliberately removed to mislead the public and launch a cognitive warfare operation.

On May 28, Japan and the Philippines issued a joint statement on their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, "Weaving the Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, and Infinite Possibilities," announcing the "formal launch of negotiations on the maritime boundary delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf between the two countries to enhance legal certainty in the region."

The national security official observed that since the day of the Japan-Philippines agreement, Chinese official sources, their proxies, and some cooperating media and social media in Taiwan have been using various methods to manipulate the narrative of so-called "Taiwan sovereignty infringement," subjecting millions of people to cognitive warfare attacks. An investigation by the fact-checking organization "MyGoPen" also found that the so-called "delimitation" image circulating online was deliberately fabricated by malicious actors.

The official stated that shortly after the announcement of the Japan-Philippines talks, an image rapidly spread on social media platforms, accompanied by claims that "Japan and the Philippines are freeloading off Taiwan's economic waters." It alleged that Japan and the Philippines had already carved up Taiwan's surrounding economic waters through the joint statement and criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for being "pro-Japan and pro-US" while ignoring the rights of Taiwanese fishermen.

According to MyGoPen's investigation, the two sides have not yet started discussions, and no official map delineating maritime boundaries has been or could have been released. The original source of the online image is not from either Japan or the Philippines but from the interactive map database of the "Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI)" under the US-based Washington D.C. think tank, the "Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)."

The national security official stated that the map's significance is merely to show a simulation of the boundaries of each country's claimed economic waters based on their legal positions. Notably, the version circulating online deliberately erased the markings for Taiwan, causing readers to see the claimed ranges of Japan and the Philippines but not find Taiwan's claimed boundary line, leading to the false impression that "Taiwan has already been carved up."

The official said that Chinese authorities have been continuously claiming sovereignty over Taiwan through various channels this week, asserting rights over Taiwan's economic waters. Some pro-China cooperating media have followed suit, and the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus has also echoed this narrative. The Chinese Coast Guard's Daishan ship formation has also recently continued law enforcement patrols in the so-called "waters east of China's Taiwan Island," claiming these are actions to "safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests" in response to the Japan-Philippines talks.

The national security official analyzed that this incident holds significant warning value for Taiwan in terms of cognitive warfare and legal warfare. For example, the misleading image spread by the operators very precisely utilizes several cognitive methods. First, selective visual presentation: using credible CSIS/AMTI charts but deliberately selecting only the layers for Japan and the Philippines, removing the Taiwan EEZ layer to create a visual shock of "Taiwan has disappeared." Second, malicious misinterpretation of government statements: twisting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' affirmation of dialogue and negotiation into an affirmation of Japan and the Philippines carving up Taiwan, creating an impression of "the government betraying the nation." Third, steering public sentiment: using strongly emotional terms like "freeloading" and "carving up" to bypass rational analysis and directly incite anger. Fourth, confusing the truth: directly transforming the "announcement of starting negotiations" into "the negotiation results taking effect," and maliciously citing the US "think tank simulation map" as an "official Japan-Philippines agreement map."

The national security official stated that, in fact, according to the provisions of the "Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties," bilateral agreements like the one between Japan and the Philippines cannot, from the outset, create binding obligations on a third party. More importantly, it has always been China that covets Taiwan's territory and territorial waters. Taiwan has relevant agreements with both Japan and the Philippines, so hearing that Japan and the Philippines are sitting down to talk is naturally a reason for affirmation.

The official asked, "If we don't affirm the Japan-Philippines dialogue, should we affirm China's daily harassment of countries around the island chain with military aircraft, warships, and coast guard vessels?" The official concluded that China, using the launch of the Japan-Philippines talks, has meticulously designed a cognitive operation, mixing in false map data and deliberately misleading disinformation, causing millions of people to be deceived. (Editor: Xie Jiazhen) 1150605

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