The United States has rejected China's designation of Scarborough Reef as a national nature reserve, accusing Beijing of attempting to block Filipino fishermen from traditional fishing grounds in the South China Sea.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Saturday that Washington would not accept China's unilateral move, calling it an effort to advance territorial ambitions at the expense of Philippine livelihoods. The statement also dismissed Beijing's claims that the area constitutes a protected reserve. The rebuke follows China's August 1 rollout of management rules for the reserve, announced last September. Chinese coast guard vessels have fired water cannons at Filipino fishing boats near the shoal in recent weeks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the Chinese activities at an ASEAN meeting in Manila in July. A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found China's sweeping maritime claims in the region unlawful under international law.