# US backs Philippines after China sets Scarborough reserve 2026-08-09T04:46:37+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet (2 source reports) The United States has rejected China's move to establish a national nature reserve on Scarborough Reef, saying it blocks Filipino fishermen from their traditional grounds. The US State Department said Beijing's action violates the 2016 arbitration ruling and is another unilateral attempt to advance its claims in the South China Sea. Washington affirmed its support for the Philippines and a free, open Indo-Pacific, according to a press release. China's new management measures for the reef, issued on August 1, include 16 articles to run the reserve approved by the State Council in September 2025. The joint rules were released by the natural resources ministry, forestry administration, coast guard, and Hainan province. Beijing has consistently refused to accept the 2016 UNCLOS tribunal ruling that China has no legal basis for its claims in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. ## Coverage - aajtak.in - aajtak.in (2) This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-09-27T06:07:41+00:00. Tags: अमेरिका, चीन, दक्षिण चीन सागर, फिलीपींस, स्कारबोरो रीफ Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-backs-philippines-after-china-sets-scarborough-reserve/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-backs-philippines-after-china-sets-scarborough-reserve/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/