The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday responded to Beijing’s warning against building up plans to increase military presence in Batanes, saying that China has no right to comment on Philippine military decisions within its territory.

In a statement issued following China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s claims that the Philippines should tread carefully and don’t play with fire by putting troops near Taiwan, the DND emphasized that the province of Batanes is still part of the country’s territory and China should not interfere with its plans with its own territory.

The DND has planned to build more structures in Batanes that are part of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept to address gaps in the country’s defenses, and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has already called for the development of more sites in the said province.

This is after inspecting Naval Detachment Basco, Naval Detachment Mavulis, Itbayat Airport, and the Multi-Agency Facility in Mahatao.