Philippines Accuses China of Planning to Occupy Disputed Shoal

China’s plan to establish a nature reserve in a disputed South China Sea shoal is a prelude to an eventual occupation, a top Philippine official said, in the latest flare-up of tensions between the two countries.

China’s proposal for Scarborough Shoal “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,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a statement on Thursday.