Why is China setting up a nature reserve in one of the world’s most contested waterways?

China’s latest nature reserve is a rock in the middle of one of the world’s most contested waterways. On Wednesday, the Chinese government approved a proposal to establish a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a hotly contested reef in the South China Sea, in an unprecedented move that could further stoke tensions with rival claimant the Philippines.

The reserve will cover more than 3,500 hectares at Huangyan Island, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, with its coral reef ecosystem as the main protection target, according to China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The decision marks a new step in China’s effort to reinforce its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a strategic, resource-rich waterway through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade transits.

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