U.S. says China’s Scarborough Shoal claim ‘destabilizing’ region

The U.S. accused China on Saturday of using “dubious” pretexts to press its disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea by enforcing a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal and barring Filipino fishermen from entering the contested waters. Violent clashes between China’s coast guard and Philippine fishing vessels had already escalated before China announced new rules for the area’s management in recent days that prohibit fishing and mining without prior approval, according to the Xinhua News Agency.China took effective control of the area in 2012 following a standoff with the Philippines over the shoal, located less than 245 kilometers off the Philippine coast. The Filipino government continues to claim the area as its own territory.