China has approved establishing a national nature reserve at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, its government announced on Wednesday, framing the move as a step to reinforce Beijing’s territorial claims and maritime rights in the contested waters.
Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island and which is known in the Philippines as the Panatag Shoal, has long been a flashpoint in the dispute between Beijing and Manila over sovereignty over and fishing access to a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.
The surrounding waters serve as a key shipping route, heavily patrolled by the U.S. Navy, while also providing rich fishing grounds and potential mineral resources.
Last month, a Chinese navy vessel accidentally collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while attempting to block a Philippine coast guard vessel near Scarborough Shoal. Philippine military officials suggested that the high-speed collision may have resulted in at least two Chinese fatalities, according to video evidence.
Later in August, the Philippines, Australia, and Canada conducted joint exercises east of the shoal, deploying aircraft and three warships to simulate responses to aerial threats.
Chinese State Council’s Notice
On Wednesday, China’s State Council posted a notice online stating that specifics regarding the area and size of the project would be provided separately by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
“The establishment of the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve is a crucial measure to safeguard the diversity, stability, and sustainability of Huangyan Island’s natural ecosystem,” the notice stated, using China’s name for Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s sweeping claims in the region were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects.
Tensions have simmered in recent years in the strategic waterway. Last month, Manila and Beijing traded accusations over an encounter at the Scarborough Shoal that resulted in the first known collision between Chinese vessels in the area.
The designation of the nature reserve is “an important guarantee for maintaining the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the atoll’s natural ecosystem,” China’s State Council said.
The specific boundaries and zoning of the reserve will be announced separately by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, it added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
