US Accuses China of Scarborough Shoal Moves

Washington says Beijing is using environmental and legal measures to strengthen its territorial claims and restrict Filipino fishermen.

The United States on Saturday accused China of pursuing “destabilizing” activity around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, saying Beijing is using “dubious” environmental justifications to advance its territorial claims.

Scarborough Shoal is a fish-rich reef formation located 240 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Luzon and hundreds of kilometers from mainland China. Both China and the Philippines claim the strategically located coral atoll.

“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,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

Pigott said China was making another unilateral effort to use environmental and legal arguments, backed by coercion, to advance its broad territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea.

“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,” he said in a statement.

China recently issued new rules governing the nature reserve it unilaterally established last year around Scarborough Shoal, which is controlled by Beijing.

China claims most of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal, despite an international ruling that found its assertion had no legal basis.

China and the Philippines have repeatedly clashed over disputed territories in the South China Sea, with the most recent incidents occurring last month.