China’s newest natural reserve is a rock in the middle of the world’s most contested waterways.
On Wednesday, Beijing approved a proposal to establish a national nature reserve in the Scarborough Shoal, a hotly contested coral reef in the South China Sea, in an unprecedented move that sparked a new word war with rival advocates, the Philippines.
The reserve covers more than 3,500 hectares of Hangyan Island, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, according to China’s National Forestry and Grassland administration, with coral reef ecosystems as their main conservation targets.
The move has attracted strong protests from the Philippines and took a new step in China’s efforts to strengthen territorial claims in the South China Sea.
China claims the entire South China Sea, which includes features from hundreds of miles from the mainland despite international rulings on international claims in 2016.
The Philippines will issue a formal diplomatic protest against the reserve states, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday, calling China’s actions “illegal and illegal” and accusing them of violating Manila’s rights and interests.
The Philippines has sovereignty and jurisdiction over shallow waters known as Bajo de Mascoll, which he described as a “long-standing integral part of the Philippines.”
China’s Foreign Ministry fought back by saying it rejected the Philippines’ “bassed accusations and so-called protests” and urged it to stop “provocation and hype.”
Located 200 km (124 miles) from the Philippines, Scarborough Shawl was within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and was a flash point between Beijing and Manila. The triangular chain of coral reefs and rocks is coveted for its strategic location, rich fish stocks, and its role as boat sanctuary during storms.
China seized an unmanned atoll 870 km (540 miles) from Hainan, the southernmost state in 2012, after a long measure with the Philippine Navy, and has since maintained a nearly constant coast guard presence in nearby waters. In recent years, patrols have been increased, and Filipino fishermen have been blocked from traditional fishing grounds.
Tension came to mind in August. A Chinese Navy destroyer collided dramatically with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, severely damaging its bow as he chased a Filipino patrol ship near Scarborough Shawl.
The Philippines is a mutual defense ally of the US, and serious clashes between Beijing and Manila could soon spiral into what drags US troops into the fight.
In the statement, the National Council, China’s Cabinet, is called the establishment of a nature reserve. It also called for stronger enforcement of “illicit conduct” in the reserve.
State media reports say Chinese experts welcome the move as an important step in defending China’s territorial sovereignty and show that precedents for other maritime features in the South China Sea can be set.
The map released by the Chinese government has the northeastern edge of an atoll designated as a “core zone” that is lined up with two “experimental zones.”
Under Chinese law, the core zone is strictly off limits, and the experimental zone allows for scientific research, educational activities and tourism. Construction is prohibited in the core zone, but in the experimental zone it is permitted. Foreigners must obtain approval from Chinese authorities to enter any reserve.
Ding Duo, a researcher at the National Institute of South China Seas, told the state-run Global Times that the decision to establish a nature reserve was a “strong rebuttal” to accusations that China had undermined the marine environment in the South China Sea.
The Chinese story, which plans to protect vulnerable ecosystems in the South China Sea, may raise eyebrows among neighbours and protectionists, considering the long-standing island buildings in Beijing across conflicting waters.
Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Año said China’s move “is about maritime features, not just protecting the environment, but justifying its control.
“The irony is clear. Since 2016, the evidence shows a massive harvest of endangered species species and the destruction of coral reefs by Chinese fishermen,” he said in a statement. “To assert stewardship against the ecosystem that they themselves are damaged is contradictory and misleading.”
A 2023 report by the Centre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) said that China buried approximately 4,648 acres of coral reefs through dr and land filling to build an artificial island. Additionally, China’s huge clam harvest damaged an estimated 16,353 acres of coral reefs, the report said.
According to CSIS, much of China’s construction is centered around the Paracel and Splat Islands, with China not building facilities in Scarborough Shawl.
The Philippines has also accused China’s shadowy maritime militia of destroying coral reefs in the South China Sea. China refused to file charges and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef ecosystems in the waterway.
