By Reuters

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US stood with the Philippines and rejected what he described as China’s “destabilizing plans” involving Scarborough Shoal.

“Beijing claiming Scarborough Reef as a nature preserve is yet another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbors,” Rubio said in a statement.

China’s plan to establish a nature reserve in the Scarborough Shoal has raised fear among Filipino fishermen, who fear that it could make it harder for them to operate in the disputed South China Sea atoll, which is under the constant watch of Chinese vessels.

The shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but has been under Beijing’s control since 2012.

Rubio said China’s actions continued to undermine regional stability and called on Beijing to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal’s unanimous decision that China had unlawfully prevented Filipino fishermen from engaging in traditional fishing at Scarborough Reef.

Eduardo Año, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s national security adviser, criticized China’s plan, saying it was a “clear pretext towards eventual occupation.”

“This move by the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is less about protecting the environment and more about justifying its control over a maritime feature that is part of the territory of the Philippines and its waters lie within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” Año said.

A formal diplomatic protest will be filed “against this illegitimate and unlawful action by China as it clearly infringes upon the rights and interests of the Philippines in accordance with international law,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said.