The United States has criticised China over its escalating territorial dispute with the Philippines in the South China Sea, warning that Beijing’s actions around the disputed Scarborough Shoal are undermining regional stability.
In a statement on Saturday, the US State Department accused China of attempting to prevent Filipino fishermen from accessing waters around Scarborough Shoal, located near the Philippine island of Luzon.
Washington also rejected China’s designation of the area as a “nature reserve”, describing it as an attempt to strengthen Beijing’s territorial claims. “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,” the State Department said.
“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,” the statement added. The US said it “stands with our Ally, the Philippines, in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have increased in recent weeks, including reports of Chinese ships using water cannon against Filipino vessels near Scarborough Shoal. Both countries claim sovereignty over the disputed area, which has remained at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute.
The Philippines previously brought its case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The tribunal largely rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea under international maritime law. Beijing, however, rejected the ruling and did not participate in the arbitration proceedings. China continues to assert extensive territorial claims through its so-called “nine-dash line”, which covers large parts of the South China Sea.
The region has become increasingly contested in recent years, with China expanding its presence through military and maritime activities and the construction of artificial islands. The South China Sea is also a major global trade route, with more than $3 trillion worth of goods estimated to pass through its waters each year.
The United States has increasingly supported the Philippines and other regional allies amid tensions with Beijing. In April, US forces conducted joint military activities with Canada and Australia in the region while reaffirming support for a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also criticised China’s actions against Philippine vessels. “The whole world saw it, and it’s disturbing,” Rubio said during the ASEAN meeting in Manila in July. We have a role, and we’re not going to abandon our allies,” he added. “We’ve made that abundantly clear.”