China has approved the establishment of a “national nature reserve” at Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a move seen as reinforcing Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in the contested waters.
The State Council announced Wednesday that the designation is intended to safeguard the atoll’s “diversity, stability, and sustainability,” with the boundaries and zoning to be set later by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
Known in China as Huangyan Island and in the Philippines as Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc, the feature has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing, both of which assert sovereignty over the area.
The shoal is also vital to fishing communities and lies along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, through which more than $3 trillion in annual trade passes.
The Philippines’ Department of National Defense has yet to issue a statement on Beijing’s announcement.
China’s expansive claim to nearly the entirety of the South China Sea overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated Beijing’s claims, but China has refused to recognize the ruling.
Tensions in the region have persisted, with the latest incident occurring last month when Chinese and Philippine vessels collided near Scarborough Shoal—the first recorded collision in the area.
Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile EEZ.
It is approximately 590 nautical miles from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.
