The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has lodged a diplomatic protest against China over its decision to establish a national nature reserve in Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, a disputed maritime feature within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona confirmed the Philippines filed the protest on Friday, 12 September, through a note verbale, describing it as a “strong, unequivocal and formal articulation” of Manila’s objections to Beijing’s latest action in the contested waters.

Escalona did not indicate if Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian was summoned in connection with the protest.

On 10 September, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced the approval of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, referred to by Beijing as Huangyan Island, a move widely seen as reinforcing its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS).

Bajo de Masinloc, also called Panatag Shoal, lies 124 nautical miles from Zambales and is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile EEZ, but it has been under de facto Chinese control since a standoff in 2012.

Red line for Manila

The DFA earlier stressed that any construction or unilateral activity in the area will be considered a “red line” or a non-negotiable and unacceptable act by the Philippine government.

Meanwhile, the United States, a long-time treaty ally of the Philippines, echoed Manila’s opposition to China’s “destabilizing plans” in Scarborough Shoal.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed Beijing’s plan as “another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbors.”

Rubio called on China to stop blocking Filipino fishermen from the area.

Also, the European Union reaffirmed its support of the Philippines’ maritime entitlements and sovereign rights under international law, calling for full respect of the 2016 Arbitral Award and a peaceful resolution of the disputes in the SCS.

“The EU stands in support of Philippine maritime entitlements and sovereign rights under international law, as upheld by the Arbitral Tribunal in 2016,” it said.

It urged all parties to respect the 2016 Arbitration Award and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Disputes should be resolved peacefully and any attempt to alter the status quo in the disputed waters by unilateral action must be avoided,” the EU stressed.

China on Wednesday announced plans for a reserve to maintain “diversity, stability and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island,” using its term for the contested chain of reefs.

The Philippines stated that it would file a protest and charged that China was seeking to exert control rather than protect the environment.

Scarborough Shoal lies 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese land mass.

China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes, despite a 2016 court ruling that said its claims had no basis in international law.

The United States has repeatedly backed the Philippines, its former colony with which it has a defense treaty, despite recent calls by President Donald Trump for strong relations with Beijing.

China dismisses protest

In Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson defended the move, saying the reserve is “within China’s sovereign rights” and it aims to protect the marine biodiversity and ecological sustainability of the area.

“China does not accept the Philippines’ groundless accusations and so-called protests,” the spokesperson said in a press conference on 11 September.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila declined to give a comment, referring inquiries to the Ministry’s official remarks.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ National Security Council dismissed China’s declaration as a “clear pretext toward eventual occupation,” and criticized it as a misleading attempt at environmental stewardship.