Philippines protests China nature reserve plan for Scarborough Shoal

Manila: The Philippines on Thursday protested Beijing s plan for a nature reserve on the disputed Scarborough Shoal, with a top official calling it...

Manila: The Philippines on Thursday protested Beijing's plan for a "nature reserve" on the disputed Scarborough Shoal, with a top official calling it a pretext for "eventual occupation" of the South China Sea site.

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.