Why is China setting up a nature reserve in one of the world’s most contested waterways?

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China’s latest nature reserve is a rock in the middle of one of the world’s most contested waterways.

On Wednesday, the Chinese government approved a proposal to establish a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a hotly contested reef in the South China Sea, in an unprecedented move that could further stoke tensions with rival claimant the Philippines.

The reserve will cover more than 3,500 hectares at Huangyan Island, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, with its coral reef ecosystem as the main protection target, according to China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The decision marks a new step in China’s effort to reinforce its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a strategic, resource-rich waterway through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade transits.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including features hundreds of miles from its mainland, despite a 2016 international ruling against its claim.

Located 200 km (124 miles) off the Philippines, the Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and has long been a flashpoint between Beijing and the Manila. The triangular chain of reefs and rocks is coveted for its strategic location, bountiful fish stocks, and role as a sanctuary for boats during storms.

China seized the uninhabited atoll in 2012 after a long standoff with the Philippine Navy, and has maintained an almost constant coast guard presence in nearby waters since. It has ramped up patrols in recent years, blocking Philippine fishermen from their traditional fishing grounds.

Tensions came to a head in August, when a Chinese navy destroyer dramatically collided with a China Coast Guard ship and badly damaged its bow while chasing a Philippine patrol vessel near Scarborough Shoal – a collision that highlighted the danger of the increasingly frequent and violent clashes between the two sides.

The Philippines is a mutual defense ally of the United States, meaning serious clashes between Beijing and Manila could quickly spiral into something that drags the US military into the fray.

The moment a Chinese warship collided with its own coast guard vessel while chasing Philippine boats on August 11, 2025. Philippine Coast Guard

In a statement, China’s cabinet, the State Council, called the establishment of the nature reserve “an important guarantee for maintaining the diversity, stability and sustainability of Huangyan Island’s natural ecosystem.” It also called for stronger enforcement against “illegal activities” at the reserve.

Manila has not commented on the development. WILLHOST has reached out to the Philippine Coast Guard, departments of foreign affairs and defense, as well as the National Security Council for comment.

Chinese experts have hailed the move as an important step in defending China’s territorial sovereignty and signaled it could set a precedent for other maritime features in the South China Sea, according to state media reports.

A map released by the Chinese government shows the entire northeastern rim of the atoll designated as the reserve, which consists of a “core zone” flanked by two “experimental zones.”

Under Chinese law, a core zone is strictly off limits, while an experimental zone allows scientific research, educational activities as well as tourism. Construction is forbidden in core zones but allowed in experimental zones. Foreigners must obtain approval from Chinese authorities to enter any reserve.

Ding Duo, a researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the state-run Global Times that the decision to establish a nature reserve is a “strong rebuttal” to accusations that China has damaged the marine environment of the South China Sea.

China’s narrative that it plans to protect fragile ecosystems in the South China Sea will likely raise eyebrows among neighbors and conservationists given Beijing’s years of island building across the disputed waters have caused significant environmental damage.

A 2023 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said China had buried roughly 4,648 acres of reefs through dredging and land fill to build artificial islands.

Much of the Chinese construction centered in the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, and China has not built any facilities on Scarborough Shoal, according to CSIS.

The Philippines has also accused China’s shadowy maritime militia of destroying coral reefs in the South China Sea. China has rejected the accusation and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef ecosystem in the waterway instead.