US condemns China's claim of a nature reserve at Scarborough Reef

In a Saturday statement, the US State Department rejected China's assertion that the waters surrounding Scarborough Reef constitute a “national nature reserve,” accusing Beijing of denying Filipino fishermen their historic fishing rights. The department described the claim as a dubious legal and environmental justification for expanding China’s sweeping territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. It reiterated US backing for the Philippines and the principle of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Tensions have risen after Chinese ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels near the reef, an area claimed by both nations. The Philippines has taken its dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which dismissed China’s broad claims as illegal, though China has refused to engage with the tribunal. US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have warned that such actions threaten regional stability.