China designates Scarborough Shoal as nature reserve, Manila protests

China’s cabinet on Wednesday approved the creation of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea that is claimed by the Philippines and has been under effective Chinese control since a 2012 standoff, a move that Manila says it will formally protest and that analysts warn could further inflame regional tensions. The State Council said the designation of what Beijing calls Huangyan Island is intended to protect the atoll’s biodiversity, stability and ecological sustainability, and that enforcement against illegal activities in the reserve should be strengthened.

Chinese officials said the precise boundaries and zoning of the reserve will be announced separately, although Chinese state media published a figure of about 3,500 hectares and reported that core and experimental zones could cover nearly the entire feature. Under Chinese law, a national nature reserve can include a strictly protected core area, a buffer zone for scientific research, and an experimental zone that permits limited visits and research; foreigners must seek Chinese approval to enter such reserves.

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday it...