PH ‘strongly protests’ China’s plan to build nature reserve in Scarborough Shoal
Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines “strongly protested” China’s approval of a new national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, calling the move “illegitimate and unlawful” and an infringement on Manila’s sovereignty in the South China Sea.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Chinese State Council’s decision to create the “Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve” in Bajo de Masinloc — the shoal’s Philippine name — was a clear violation of international law.
“Bajo de Masinloc is a longstanding and integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction,” the DFA said on Thursday. “The Philippines likewise has the exclusive authority to establish environmental protection areas over its territory and relevant maritime zones.”
The DF said the Philippines will issue a formal diplomatic protest against China’s illegal action as it infringes upon the rights and interests of the Philippines in accordance with international law.
It urged Beijing to “respect the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Philippines over Bajo de Masinloc, refrain from enforcing and immediately withdraw its State Council issuance, and comply with its obligations under international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the final and binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).”
The State Council said the conservation area was intended to “maintain the diversity, stability and sustainability” of the shoal’s ecosystem and called on local governments to step up enforcement against “illegal activities” in the reserve.
Scarborough Shoal — called Huangyan Island by China and Panatag Shoal by the Philippines — lies about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of the Philippine island of Luzon and has long been a flashpoint between the two countries.
Chinese Coast Guard vessels took control of the shoal in 2012 after a tense maritime standoff, restricting access to Filipino fishermen despite the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
