The US on Saturday accused China of “destabilizing” activity near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, saying it is using “dubious” environmental explanations to advance its territorial claims.
Scarborough Shoal, a fish-rich reef formation located 240 kilometers (124 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon and hundreds of kilometers from mainland China, is claimed by both Beijing and Manila.
“The United States rejects China’s ongoing attempts to enforce its destabilizing ‘national nature reserve’ at Scarborough Reef and deny Filipino fishermen access to their traditional fishing ground,” the US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
“This is yet another unilateral attempt by China to use dubious environmental and legal pretexts, backed by coercion, to advance its sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbors,” Pigott said in a statement.
China recently issued new rules for the maintenance of the nature reserve it unilaterally established last year surrounding the shoal, which is controlled by Beijing.
Beijing claims the majority of the South China Sea, including the hotspot shoal, despite an international finding that its claim lacks legal validity.
China and the Philippines frequently conflict over contested areas. The most recent incidents occurred last month.
