Now Reading: US calls China’s Scarborough Shoal claim ‘destabilising’
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US calls China’s Scarborough Shoal claim ‘destabilising’
The US has accused China of using “dubious” environmental and legal pretexts to enforce a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal and bar Filipino fishermen, calling the move “destabilising” for the Indo-Pacific region.…
The Story in Brief
The US has accused China of using “dubious” environmental and legal pretexts to enforce a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal and bar Filipino fishermen, calling the move “destabilising” for the Indo-Pacific region. The accusation came after China announced new rules last week banning fishing and mining without approval in the disputed area, following violent clashes between Chinese coast guard and Philippine vessels in July, Livemint reports citing the US State Department.
China took effective control of the shoal, less than 150 miles off the Philippine coast, in 2012. The Philippines continues to claim the area as its territory. Washington has opposed the reserve since its inception in September and has backed Manila to check Beijing’s growing influence.
The Indian Opinion
The US rightly calls out China's coercive tactics, but Washington's own military presence in the region is hardly neutral. Both sides play the victim while advancing their strategic interests. The real test will come when the Philippines decides whether to invite US bases to enforce the 2016 arbitration ruling, or quietly accept Chinese control as a fait accompli. Which way Manila leans will define the next decade in the South China Sea.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
