U.S. Accuses China of Using Nature Reserve to Assert South China Sea Claims

The United States has again accused China of destabilizing activities near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, alleging Beijing is using a "national nature reserve" as a pretext to enforce its territorial claims. The U.S. State Department specifically condemned China's "repeated attempts to impose its 'national nature reserve' on the Scarborough Shoal and to deny Filipino fishermen access to their traditional fishing grounds."

Washington views China's move as "a new unilateral attempt to use dubious environmental and legal pretexts, backed by coercive measures, to advance its territorial and maritime claims," according to a statement from the State Department spokesperson. This assertion comes after China recently implemented new regulations for the nature reserve it established around the shoal last year.

The Scarborough Shoal, a coral formation rich in fishery resources, is subject to sovereignty disputes between China and the Philippines. Beijing currently controls the shoal, and confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels near disputed islands in the South China Sea have become increasingly frequent, with several incidents reported in July. China maintains historical claims over nearly all islets and reefs in the South China Sea.

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Washington rejects «les tentatives répétées de la Chine visant à imposer sa “réserve naturelle nationale” sur le récif de Scarborough et à priver les pêcheurs philippins de l'accès à leurs zones de pêche traditionnelles».