China to Build Natural Reserve at Disputed South China Sea Shoal

The proposed natural reserve at Scarborough Shoal is within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

China coast guard personnel sail on a rubber boat toward a floating barrier at the entrance over Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Feb. 15, 2024. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese authorities have greenlighted a proposal to set up a natural reserve at a contested shoal that it has seized control of from the Philippines in the South China Sea, according to China’s State Council.

The State Council said in a written response to the Ministry of Natural Resources, published on Sept. 10, that details such as area, scope, and functional subversions of the new reserve will be released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.