Philippines’ Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner said the Philippines is closely watching China’s actions after Beijing plans to establish a nature reserve at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Brawner said it was important that there was not a repeat of what had happened at Mischief Reef, also called Panganiban Reef by the Philippines.

The Philippines claims Mischief Reef, which is within its Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea, but China occupied in the 1990s and has since built a military base on it.

Last month, China announced it had approved the creation of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, saying it was an “important guarantee” to preserve the atoll’s ecosystem.

The Philippines also refers to Scarborough Shoal as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.