US Rejects China’s $3 Trillion Scarborough Reef Reserve Claim as Backing Philippines
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 8
US Rejects China’s $3 Trillion Scarborough Reef Reserve Claim as Backing Philippines
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 8
Summary
The US State Department said China is using a claimed “national nature reserve” at Scarborough Reef to block Filipino fishermen from their traditional fishing grounds.
Washington called the move a coercive, unilateral attempt to advance Beijing’s sweeping South China Sea claims and said it stands with treaty ally the Philippines.
Scarborough Reef, near Luzon, has become a fresh flashpoint after recent incidents in which Chinese ships used water cannon against Philippine fishing vessels.
A 2016 Hague arbitration ruling largely found China’s broad maritime claims unlawful, but Beijing rejected the process and continues to assert its “nine-dash line” across much of the sea.
More than $3 trillion in goods pass through the South China Sea each year, making the dispute central to regional sovereignty, military access and US-China rivalry in Asia.
Will China's controversial 'nature reserve' tactic successfully mask its military ambitions at Scarborough Reef, or spark a broader international conflict?
As Chinese coast guard patrols hit record highs in 2026, can the Philippines and its allies prevent a total blockade?