US: China’s ‘National Nature Reserve’ In Panatag Destabilizing

The United States on Saturday accused China of “destabilizing” activity near Panatag or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, saying it is using “dubious” environmental explanations to advance its territorial claims.

Panatag Shoal is a fish-rich reef formation 240 kilometers from the main island of Luzon and hundreds of kilometers away from mainland China.

“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 in a statement on Saturday, Aug. 8.

“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 as he reinforced the United States’ support for the Philippines’ claim on the shoal.

Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense (DND) rejected the Chinese defense ministry’s call for the Philippines to abandon its initiatives and position on Panatag, saying Manila will continue to exercise sovereignty over the feature.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said China’s call is based on “patently false characterizations of lawful Philippine actions within Philippine territory and maritime areas.”

Why is DFA naive?

Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio reiterated on Sunday, Aug. 9, his criticism of the “provisional arrangement” between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Chinese embassy on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal.

The DFA had challenged Carpio to propose a better scheme than the arrangement, which he described as “dumber than dumb.”

Responding, Carpio posted: “The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) can resupply through airdrops, drones and fast boats. NEVER should the (Philippines) re-supply under China’s terms because that would be an obvious trap. Why is the DFA so naive? Even our own Navy and Coast Guard personnel are aghast.”