Introduction
Introduction Statistics Contact Development Disclaimer Help
.-') _ .-') _
( OO ) ) ( OO ) )
.-----. ,--./ ,--,' ,--./ ,--,'
' .--./ | \ | |\ | \ | |\
| |('-. | \| | )| \| | )
/_) |OO )| . |/ | . |/
|| |`-'| | |\ | | |\ |
(_' '--'\ | | \ | | | \ |
`-----' `--' `--' `--' `--'
lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Why is China setting up a nature reserve in one of the world’s most
contested waterways?
By Nectar Gan, Kathleen Magramo, CNN
Updated:
4:10 AM EDT, Thu September 11, 2025
Source: CNN
China’s latest nature reserve is a rock in the middle of one of the
world’s most contested waterways.
On Wednesday, the Chinese government a proposal to establish a national
nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a hotly contested reef in the
South China Sea, in an unprecedented move that has ignited a fresh war
of words with rival claimant the Philippines.
The reserve will cover more than 3,500 hectares at Huangyan Island, the
Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, with its coral reef ecosystem as
the main protection target, according to China’s National Forestry
and Grassland Administration.
The move has drawn strong protest from the Philippines and marks a new
step in China’s effort to reinforce its territorial claims in the
South China Sea, a strategic, resource-rich waterway through which more
than 60 percent of global maritime trade transits.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including features
hundreds of miles from its mainland, despite a 2016 international
ruling against its claim.
The Philippines will issue a formal diplomatic protest over the
reserve, its foreign ministry said in a Thursday, calling China’s
action “illegitimate and unlawful” and accusing it of infringing on
Manila’s rights and interests.
It said the Philippines has sovereignty and jurisdiction over the
shoal, which it calls Bajo de Masinloc, describing it as a
“longstanding and integral part” of the Philippines.
China’s foreign ministry hit back, saying it rejects the
Philippines’ “groundless accusations and so-called protests” and
urges it to stop its “provocations and hype.”
Located 200 km (124 miles) off the Philippines, the Scarborough Shoal
lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and has long
been a flashpoint between Beijing and Manila. The triangular chain of
reefs and rocks is coveted for its strategic location, bountiful fish
stocks, and role as a sanctuary for boats during storms.
China seized the uninhabited atoll – 870 km (540 miles) from its
southernmost province of Hainan – in 2012 after a long standoff with
the Philippine Navy, and has maintained an almost constant coast guard
presence in nearby waters since. It has ramped up patrols in recent
years, blocking Philippine fishermen from their traditional fishing
grounds.
Tensions came to a head in August, when a Chinese navy destroyer with a
China Coast Guard ship and badly damaged its bow while chasing a
Philippine patrol vessel near Scarborough Shoal – a collision that
highlighted the danger of the increasingly frequent and violent clashes
between the two sides.
The Philippines is a mutual defense ally of the United States, meaning
serious clashes between Beijing and Manila could quickly spiral into
something that drags the US military into the fray.
In a statement, China’s cabinet, the State Council, called the
establishment of the nature reserve “an important guarantee for
maintaining the diversity, stability and sustainability of Huangyan
Island’s natural ecosystem.” It also called for stronger
enforcement against “illegal activities” at the reserve.
Chinese experts have hailed the move as an important step in defending
China’s territorial sovereignty and signaled it could set a precedent
for other maritime features in the South China Sea, according to .
A released by the Chinese government shows the entire northeastern rim
of the atoll designated as the reserve, which consists of a “core
zone” flanked by two “experimental zones.”
Under , a core zone is strictly off limits, while an experimental zone
allows scientific research, educational activities as well as tourism.
Construction is forbidden in core zones but allowed in experimental
zones. Foreigners must obtain approval from Chinese authorities to
enter any reserve.
Ding Duo, a researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea
Studies, told the state-run Global Times that the decision to establish
a nature reserve is a “strong rebuttal” to accusations that China
has damaged the marine environment of the South China Sea.
China’s narrative that it plans to protect fragile ecosystems in the
South China Sea will likely raise eyebrows among neighbors and
conservationists given Beijing’s years of island building across the
disputed waters have caused significant environmental damage.
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said China’s move
is “less about protecting the environment and more about justifying
its control” over the maritime feature.
“The irony is clear: since 2016, evidence has shown large-scale
harvesting of endangered species and reef destruction by Chinese
fishermen,” he said in a . “To now claim stewardship over an
ecosystem that they themselves has damaged is both contradictory and
misleading.”
A 2023 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
said China had buried roughly 4,648 acres of reefs through dredging and
land fill to build artificial islands. In addition, Chinese giant clam
harvesting damaged an estimated 16,353 acres of coral reef, the report
said.
Much of the Chinese construction centered on the Paracel Islands and
the Spratly Islands, and China has not built any facilities on
Scarborough Shoal, .
The Philippines has also China’s shadowy maritime militia of
destroying coral reefs in the South China Sea. China has rejected the
accusation and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef
ecosystem in the waterway instead.
<- back to index
You are viewing proxied material from codevoid.de. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.