US Condemns China's Nature Reserve at Scarborough Shoal

The United States Department of State condemned China's establishment of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, calling the move a unilateral attempt to advance territorial claims through dubious environmental and legal pretexts. The U.S. asserts that Beijing is using the reserve to deny Filipino fishermen access to traditional fishing grounds near Luzon.

China's State Council approved the reserve in September 2025, and on August 1, 2026, Beijing published 16 management articles prohibiting unauthorized fishing and mining. The reserve is jointly managed by the China Coast Guard, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and the People's Government of Hainan Province. This diplomatic clash follows a period of escalation in July, during which the China Coast Guard reportedly used water cannons against Filipino vessels.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. will not abandon its allies in the region. The dispute centers on the 2016 Arbitral Award from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found no legal basis for China's maritime claims in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. While China continues to reject this ruling and enforce its nine-dash line, the U.S. maintains that Beijing's actions are destabilizing for the Indo-Pacific region.