China’s use of a “green” claim to assert sovereignty has set a dangerous precedent, leading to a red alert situation at sea on Tuesday. A collision with a Philippine vessel near Scarborough Shoal, which China recently declared a “nature reserve,” has been blamed on Manila in what critics call a scripted escalation.
The incident saw Chinese vessels use water cannons on a fleet of over ten Philippine ships before the collision occurred. Beijing immediately accused a Philippine vessel of a “deliberate ramming,” attempting to frame the Philippines as the aggressor in a confrontation many see as being of China’s own making.
The “national nature reserve” declaration, made just six days ago, was the trigger for this latest round of tensions. The Philippines and its allies viewed it as a thinly veiled attempt to annex the territory, known locally as Bajo de Masinloc. A formal protest was being prepared before the situation turned kinetic.
The South China Sea is a critical global waterway where such grey-zone tactics threaten to destabilize the region. China’s expansive claims, which an international tribunal found to be without legal basis, are the root cause of these recurring and increasingly dangerous standoffs.
The international community has condemned Beijing’s strategy. A prominent US lawmaker denounced the “coercive” effort to advance illegal claims. The UK and Australia have also expressed alarm, while Canada’s embassy in the Philippines explicitly stated its opposition to using environmentalism as a pretext for territorial seizure.