US backs PH in rejecting China's Scarborough Shoal nature reserve plan

The US strongly supports the Philippines' rejection of China's plan to designate Scarborough Shoal as a "national nature reserve," calling it a coercive and destabilizing act.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that China's move is another attempt to assert its territorial claims in the South China Sea, impacting Filipino fishermen and regional stability.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also protested China's plan, deeming it an "illegitimate and unlawful action."

Rubio referenced the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, which declared China's actions to bar Filipinos from fishing at the shoal as unlawful.

China's State Council announced plans to establish the reserve at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island, stating it is "an important measure for maintaining the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the natural ecosystem."

The US urged China to respect the final and legally binding 2016 ruling and affirmed its commitment to standing with the Philippines in defending international law and opposing destabilizing actions in the South China Sea.