Scarborough Shoal, a contested maritime feature in the South China Sea, has become a subject of controversy due to China's proposal to establish a nature reserve, which is facing strong opposition.
The Scarborough Shoal, located 200km off the Philippines and renowned for its bountiful fish stocks and stunning turquoise lagoon, remains a contentious issue in the South China Sea. This small atoll, named Huangyan Island by Beijing and Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc by Manila, is at the heart of a territorial dispute involving China, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
The primary cause of the dispute stems from the strategic location of the shoal and its potential rich fishing grounds and natural resources. Despite repeated incidents, including the use of water cannon, boat-ramming, and dangerously-close maneuvers by China's coast guard, China maintains a deployment of coast guard and fishing trawlers at the shoal, which it seized in 2012.
China has recently approved the creation of a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, covering the entire north-eastern side of the atoll. This move has been defended by Yang Xiao, a maritime expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, who also accused Filipino fishermen of catching endangered species and polluting waters.
However, both sides accuse each other of provocations and trespassing. The Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal, but sovereignty has never been established, and it is effectively under Beijing's control. The ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 favored Manila, stating that Beijing's blockade at the shoal violated international law as it was a traditional fishing ground for several countries. However, Beijing has not acknowledged this claim.
The Philippines has accused China of activities that damage coral and marine life at the shoal. Some of the trawlers at the shoal and other disputed areas of the South China Sea are allegedly operated by Chinese maritime militia.
The Scarborough Shoal's strategic position is significant for Beijing, situated in the middle of the South China Sea and near shipping lanes carrying over $3 trillion of annual commerce. The Philippines and United States have a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, and the US has taken its defense alliance with the Philippines to a new level under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called China's plan at the shoal "destabilising" and "coercive".
The dispute over Scarborough Shoal is not just a local issue but a global concern, with international scepticism and concern about China's underlying motives at the shoal. The hope remains for a peaceful resolution to this long-standing conflict, preserving the rich marine biodiversity of the South China Sea and maintaining the freedom of navigation in this strategically important waterway.
