China Declares Nature Reserve at Disputed Scarborough Shoal,Raising Tensions with Philippines
MANILA,Philippines – China has announced the establishment of a nature reserve on the Scarborough Shoal,a hotly contested territory in the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines,prompting concerns of increased harassment of filipino vessels and fishermen in the area. The move, announced by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, designates 150,000 hectares as a protected area.
The Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Dao in China, has been a focal point of maritime disputes for over a decade. The Philippines asserts it’s sovereign rights over the shoal,located within its exclusive economic zone,a claim backed by a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague – a ruling China rejects.
according to security analyst Ms Parker,China will likely use the newly declared reserve to justify increased pressure on Filipino maritime activities. “What we will see after this declaration is more intensity,more water cannoning,more ramming,more bullying of Philippines fishermen - within the philippines’s own exclusive economic zone,” she said. “China will say this is legitimate because they are breaching a nature reserve.”
The announcement comes as China’s navy conducted what it described as “scientific research trials and training missions” near the shoal,deploying its third and most advanced aircraft carrier,the Fujian,through the Taiwan Strait and into the South China Sea. the navy stated the voyage was “not directed at any specific target.” The Fujian completed its 8-day maiden sea trial in May 2024.
Unlike other contested areas in the South China Sea where Beijing has constructed military infrastructure, Scarborough Shoal remains un-militarized, though Ms Parker noted China has been “deterred, to a point.”
Ms Parker emphasized the need for international condemnation, stating countries like Australia should make clear they do not recognize the nature reserve and that it violates international law.