China has approved construction of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a contested feature in the South China Sea also claimed by the Philippines, state authorities announced.
A notice posted online by China’s State Council on Wednesday said details about the area and size of the project would be released separately by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. The notice referred to the shoal by its Chinese name, Huangyan Island, and called the reserve “an important guarantee for maintaining the diversity, stability and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island.”
Scarborough Shoal has been the scene of repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels as both sides seek to enforce competing claims. The area is part of a broader set of islands, islets and reefs in the South China Sea that are claimed in whole or in part by China and several of its neighbors, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The waters are a major international shipping lane, a productive fishing ground and are believed to contain exploitable mineral and hydrocarbon resources.
Chinese authorities framed the reserve as an environmental measure. The State Council notice said establishing the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve would help protect the diversity and sustainability of the local ecosystem. The announcement did not provide maps or specify the boundaries of the reserve; the National Forestry and Grassland Administration is expected to publish those details later.
The decision comes amid heightened activity in and around the shoal. Philippine military officials said video footage of a high-speed incident last month shows a Chinese navy ship colliding with a Chinese coast guard vessel while attempting to block a Philippine coast guard ship near the shoal; the Philippines said the footage indicated the crash may have killed at least two Chinese personnel. In August, the Philippines, Australia and Canada deployed aircraft and three warships for exercises east of Scarborough Shoal that included simulated aerial threats.
China’s claim to Scarborough Shoal and other features has long been disputed. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled in a case brought by the Philippines that China’s broad maritime claims based on the so-called nine-dash line had no legal basis; Beijing rejected the ruling and has continued to assert sovereignty over features it names in Chinese. Manila maintains that Scarborough Shoal falls within its exclusive economic zone and has repeatedly protested actions it views as encroachments.
Analysts say moves to establish administrative or environmental designations on disputed features can be seen as a way to expand governance and control without direct military annexation. China has in recent years created marine and terrestrial reserves, fishing bans and other protective measures in various South China Sea features and adjacent waters, actions that critics say can normalize Chinese authority in contested maritime spaces.
Foreign navies, including the U.S. Navy, regularly conduct patrols in the South China Sea to maintain freedom of navigation. Manila has also stepped up security partnerships and exercises with allies in response to rising encounters with Chinese vessels.
The State Council’s announcement did not indicate a timetable for construction of reserve facilities or how the designation would be enforced. Officials in Beijing and Manila had not provided immediate additional comment following the notice.