The triangular chain of reefs and rocks, known as Huangyan Island in China, has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.
It lies 240 kilometres (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometres from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese land mass.
In August, a Chinese navy vessel dramatically collided with a ship from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal.
In a statement released on Wednesday, China's State Council said establishing the reserve at Scarborough Shoal was "an important measure for maintaining the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island".
It also urged "intensifying supervision and law enforcement of all illegal and irregular activities involving the nature reserve".
The reserve's boundaries would be announced separately by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, it said.
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes, despite a 2016 court ruling that said its claims had no basis in international law.
Its claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and others.
Philippines protests China nature reserve plan for Scarborough Shoal
Manila (AFP) Sept 11, 2025 -
The Philippines protested on Thursday against a Chinese scheme to create a "nature reserve" on the disputed Scarborough Shoal, the site of repeated clashes in the South China Sea.
China revealed plans a day earlier for a reserve to maintain "diversity, stability, and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island", Beijing's name for the contested chain of reefs.
Chinese state media said the reserve would cover an area of 3,523.67 hectares (8,707 acres), with its "primary focus" being the coral reef ecosystem.
"The Philippines strongly protests the recent approval by the State Council of China of the establishment of the so-called 'Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve,'" the foreign affairs department said in a statement.
"The Philippines will be issuing a formal diplomatic protest against this illegitimate and unlawful action by China," it said, adding it held sovereignty over the area in question.
Scarborough Shoal lies 240 kilometres (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometres from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese land mass.
Last month, a Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough, with Manila releasing dramatic video footage of the confrontation.
And in May, the Philippines slammed what it termed a "high-risk" manoeuvre by a Chinese vessel in the same area. China responded by accusing Manila of sending a ship to "intrude" into its territorial waters.
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes, despite a 2016 court ruling that said its claims had no basis in international law.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
