"United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed support for Manila's opposition to Beijing's plan to designate the contested Scarborough Shoal as a nature reserve, characterising the move as part of a broader Chinese strategy of coercion in the South China Sea. The US stands with our Philippine ally in rejecting China's destabilising plans to establish a national nature reserve' at Scarborough Reef, Rubio wrote on the X social media platform on Friday."
"On Wednesday, China's State Council revealed its intention to establish a nature reserve spanning 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres) on the disputed islet, describing the initiative as an important guarantee for maintaining diversity, stability and sustainability. While Scarborough Shoal lies 240km (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and is included in the country's exclusive economic zone, it has been under Beijing's control since 2012."
China's State Council intends to establish a 3,500-hectare nature reserve on the disputed Scarborough Shoal, framing the initiative as an important guarantee for biodiversity, stability and sustainability. Scarborough Shoal lies 240 km west of the Philippine island of Luzon and falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, but it has been under Beijing's control since 2012. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed support for Manila's opposition and characterised the move as part of a broader Chinese coercion strategy in the South China Sea. The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs plans to lodge a formal diplomatic protest. Chinese coastguard vessels have blocked Filipino fishing boats near the shoal.
#scarborough-shoal #south-china-sea #chinaphilippines-dispute #nature-reserve #us-philippines-relations
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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