Tensions in the South China Sea have simmered since a 2012 naval standoff between China and the Philippines. Now China vows to protect a 'nature reserve' in disputed waters closer to the Philippines than its own coast. DW examines the shift in tactics.

Manila

China has designated Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area in the South China Sea, as a national nature reserve, citing environmental protection and sustainable development. The shoal, located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, has been a longstanding point of contention between the two countries since China seized it in 2012.

The Philippines has announced plans to issue a diplomatic protest, calling China's action illegitimate and unlawful. Despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling rejecting Beijing's claims, China continues to assert sovereignty over much of the South China Sea. Local fishers and officials in the Philippines express concern that the nature reserve designation is a tactic to solidify Chinese control, further complicating livelihoods and regional stability.

Beijing twists narrative in disputed waters with Manila

This is Scarborough Shoal, seized by China from the Philippines after a tense naval standoff in 2012, it's long been a flashpoint in the sensitive waters of the South China Sea. Last week, in a new twist, Beijing declared the rich coral ecosystem a national nature reserve. It conforms to China's domestic and international laws and fully reflects that China, as a responsible big country, actively protects the ecological environment and promotes the mission of achieving sustainable development. The only problem, Scarborough Shoal is inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. It's more than 900 kilometres from China's southernmost point and just 200 kilometres from the Philippine coast. It's claimed by both countries. The Philippines, likewise, has the exclusive authority to establish environmental protection areas over its territory and relevant maritime zones. The Philippines will be issuing a formal diplomatic protest against this illegitimate and unlawful action by China. China says virtually the whole of the South China Sea, a vital waterway for global trade and home to rich fishing grounds, is part of its sovereign territory. Despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that Beijing's claims here have no legal basis, China has been occupying islands, reefs and shoals, often dredging up coral to build military infrastructure, disrupting the livelihood of Philippine fishers. They are hypocrites. The governments of China are hypocrites. How can they declare the Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea as theirs to build a nature reserve? They are the ones destroying Scarborough Shoal in the first place. While China has been accused of damaging coral and marine life there, it has not built any military outposts in the shoals, as it has in other parts of the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands. China's expansion is something Manila, backed by its defence treaty ally the US, has vowed to push back against. Violent confrontations at sea are on the rise. But this is a new move for Beijing, declaring a nature reserve in a high-profile disputed area. So why the change in tactic? I think that they are trying to put out there that the takeover of Scarborough Shoal is complete. That the Philippines would be best, and the rest of the world, would be best served simply to move along, except that China is going to be the steward of Scarborough Shoal and that it will be an environmentally responsible steward. In the small villages along the Philippine coast, fishers can do little more than watch anxiously. China talks of sending researchers, officials and even tourists to nearby Scarborough. Locals fear fresh clashes with Chinese boats, at a harder time making a living. Many here believe the nature reserve is less about conservation and more about changing the rules of the game. Once again, leaving them caught in the middle of a struggle for influence in these contested waters.

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