Since 2025, tensions in the South China Sea have intensified, with the Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao in Chinese) once again at the center of China–Philippines frictions. After the August 11 standoff that damaged two Chinese vessels, Beijing began moving toward a more structured approach to maritime governance at the shoal. In September, the State Council approved the Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve, covering 3,523.67 hectares and identifying the surrounding coral-reef ecosystem as its primary conservation target.
More than a conservation initiative, the move signals Beijing’s intent to shift the basis of its posture at the shoal from episodic maritime friction to continuous legal and administrative regulation. By formalizing its jurisdiction through environmental law, China appears to be lowering the threshold for direct military confrontation while reinforcing its claims through civilian institutions.
The move reflected a shift from ad hoc maritime response to institutional regulation. It followed Manila’s 2024 Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, which incorporated Scarborough Shoal i
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