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23h ago

Philippines Protests China’s New Nature Reserve at Scarborough Shoal

Beijing’s designation signals tighter administrative control over a reef inside the Philippine EEZ, with access rules to be set by Chinese authorities.

Vessels identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as China's so-called "Maritime Militia" are seen inside the lagoon of the Scarborough Shoal, in the South China Sea during an aerial reconnaissance flight on February 18, 2025.
A Filipino fisheman rows a boat during a trip near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in Masinloc, Zambales province, Philippines, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/File Photo
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Overview

  • China’s State Council approved a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration citing a coral protection focus and an area of roughly 3,523 to 3,524 hectares on the shoal’s northeastern rim.
  • Manila filed a formal diplomatic protest calling the plan illegitimate and unlawful, asserting sovereignty and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc and urging China to withdraw the measure.
  • China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the protest, saying the shoal has never been Philippine territory and urging the Philippines to halt what it described as provocations.
  • Under China’s nature-reserve rules, authorities can create core, buffer and experimental zones and require foreign visitors to obtain approval, a framework that could enable enforcement limiting fishing and access.
  • Tensions around the shoal have recently intensified, including an August collision between Chinese navy and coast guard vessels during a pursuit of a Philippine boat, as allies conducted nearby drills and the U.S. reiterated defense commitments to the Philippines.