Overview
- The U.S. State Department, which issued its statement on Saturday, formally rejected China’s enforcement of a self-declared ‘national nature reserve’ at Scarborough and said the move denies Filipino fishermen access to long-used waters.
- Chinese state media published new management rules this week that bar fishing and mining around Scarborough without Beijing’s approval, a step Washington called an attempt to expand control by regulatory means.
- The Philippine Coast Guard reported clashes with Chinese vessels in July that included the use of water cannon against Filipino coast guard and fisheries boats, heightening tensions before the reserve rules were published.
- Washington accused Beijing of using legal and environmental pretexts backed by coercion to press sweeping maritime claims, reaffirming U.S. support for the Philippines as an ally in defending a free and open Indo-Pacific.
- The dispute sits on top of a 2016 Hague arbitration that rejected China’s broad maritime claims but which Beijing ignores, leaving Filipino fishers at greater risk and raising the chance of wider regional friction that could affect trade and security.