A very disputed channel of reefs and rocks at the Sea of Southern China will soon become a nature reserve, China announced on Wednesday.
The Shoal of Scarborough, a triangular formation claimed by China and the Philippines, was the site of several conflicts, including an incident last month in which a Chinese coastal guard ship which was pursuing a Philippin patrol boat struck a much larger Chinese military ship. He is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines.
The Chinese Council of State said that the establishment of a reserve on Scarborough Shoal was “an important measure to maintain the diversity, stability and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of the atoll”. The limits of the reserve would be announced separately by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, he said.
Beijing claims his jurisdiction on almost the entire Sea of Southern China despite a 2016 decision of an international arbitration court rejecting this complaint. China has rejected the decision and sought to strengthen its demand for zones like Scarborough Shoal, coming up against its neighbors along the way.
The claim of China rides the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.
Includes agency reports France-Presse and Reuters.