Scarborough Shoal

Scarborough Shoal Latest News

The Philippines has reacted strongly to China’s announcement of establishing a nature reserve in the South China Sea at the disputed Scarborough Shoal.   

About Scarborough Shoal

• It is a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, claimed by both China and the Philippines as part of their territory.    
• It is located some 220 kilometers west of the Philippines’ Island of Luzon.
• It is the largest atoll in the South China Sea, submerged at high tide with few rocks above sea level.
• What is the Dispute?
  • China’s claim: China, which now refers to the shoal as Huangyan Island, makes a historical claim to the area, stating that they can trace their ownership of the area back to the Yuan Dynasty of the 1200s.
  • Philippines claim: The Philippines claim the area on the basis of geography, as it is much closer to the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, which contains the capital, Manila, but lies over 500 miles from China.
  • It is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Commercial Significance: The deep waters around the shoal make it a productive fishing area, rich in marine life, and the lagoon also contains many commercially valuable shellfish and sea cucumbers.

Source: Reuters

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