Establishment of nature reserve beyond criticism, aligns with regional interests

A healthy ocean is essential to the world. But the marine biodiversity in many areas is under severe stress. Marine nature reserves have proven to be an effective approach to safeguard the marine environment, resources and biodiversity. That explains why China decided last week to establish Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve in the South China Sea.

Despite this being a necessary move, and a legitimate one, as the area covered falls within the country's sovereign waters, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said it "strongly protests" against it. The United States also pointed an accusing finger at China on Friday, claiming the decision is yet "another coercive attempt" to assert itself in the waters.

The US State Department claimed that the US is ready to "stand with" the Philippines in rejecting China's move regarding Huangyan Island. This will inevitably escalate regional tensions and likely compromise any efforts aimed at resolving the tensions between the Philippines and China through dialogue and consultation.

To establish the nature reserve, which is aimed at protecting the ecological environment of the island, and ensuring its ecological diversity, continuity and sustainability, is within China's sovereign rights. China's sovereignty over the island and its surrounding waters is indisputable. Neither the Philippines nor the US has legitimacy to make such irresponsible remarks about the move.

Setting up the nature reserve is in line with China's domestic laws and international law, and fully shows that China, as a responsible major country, is resolved to actively protect the ecological environment.

China undoubtedly bears both the right and the duty to ensure that the island's marine environment remains healthy and sustainable. Huangyan Island's coral reefs, fish stocks and overall ecological environment are under increasing threat due to the Philippine government turning a blind eye to the rampant illegal fishing activities of its nationals. That makes improving management and strengthening supervision and law enforcement an urgent task.

The attempts by the Philippines to continuously challenge China's sovereignty over Huangyan Island constitute a betrayal of its own history. None of the international treaties that define the borders of the Philippines includes Huangyan Island. Moreover, the Philippine Constitution, published in 1935, clearly excludes Huangyan Island from the country's territorial boundaries.

The scope of Philippine territory is defined by several international treaties, and has never included Huangyan Island. China does not accept the Philippines' groundless accusations and so-called protests. The Philippines is urged to stop violating China's sovereignty, making provocations and spreading disinformation, as well as creating factors that could complicate the situation at sea.

The great lengths Manila, backed by its patron, has chosen to go to in a bid to politicize the legal and necessary move of China expose which party is trying to make waves in the otherwise tranquil waters, and which party is attempting to turn the common home of the region into an arena for geopolitical games for external parties.

Regional countries can see clearly that the provocative "freedom of navigation" operations of the US and the joint military exercises the Philippines conducts in the South China Sea with external parties, including the US, are anything but to safeguard a "free and open" sea as they are purported to be.

In the latest trouble-making move, the Philippines, Japan and the US conducted joint maritime exercises in the Philippines' so-called exclusive economic zone from Thursday to Saturday.

The sooner the Philippine government stops making every move based on a dangerous gambling mentality or a geopolitical game plan written by the US to contain China, the better it will serve its own national interests. It is Manila's strategic misjudgment that constitutes the practical threat to the country's security.

China will continue to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with law. In the process, the country is committed to working with regional countries, including the Philippines, to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. The establishment of the nature reserve should be regarded as being an integral part of those efforts.

If Manila really cares about the marine biosystem in the waters as it claims, it should realize the establishment of the nature reserve aligns with the collective regional interests, including its own.