China to establish nature reserve in disputed Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

Beijing, China - China has approved the creation of a national nature reserve at thedisputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the government said on Wednesday, as Beijing moves to reinforce its territorial claims and maritime rights in the contested region.

Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island and which is known in the Philippines as the Panatag Shoal, has long been a flashpoint in the dispute between Beijing and Manila over sovereignty over and fishing access to a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.