China announced plans to establish a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal a disputed reef in the South China Sea further heightening tensions with the Philippines. Known as Huangyan Island in China, the shoal has been a source of conflict since Beijing seized control in 2012. Located just 240 km from the Philippines' Luzon island and nearly 900 km from China’s Hainan, the reef’s strategic importance has made it a geopolitical flashpoint. The move follows a dramatic naval incident in August, when a Chinese navy ship collided with a coast guard vessel while pursuing a Philippine patrol near the shoal.
