Rubio Slams China’s Scarborough Shoal Plan, Signals U.S. Backing for Philippines in Maritime Dispute

U.S. Secretary of State-designate and senior senator Marco Rubio has called out China’s plan to establish a "national nature reserve" at Scarborough Shoal, warning that it represents a coercive and destabilizing attempt to rewrite maritime realities in the South China Sea. 

Rubio Slams China’s Scarborough Shoal Plan. Via: Open Source Intel

His comments mark the strongest U.S. congressional signal yet in support of the Philippines amid renewed tensions at the reef.

“The U.S. stands with our Philippine ally in rejecting China’s destabilizing plans,” Rubio posted, framing Beijing’s move as part of a broader campaign to “erase everything Russian” in other theatres, and now expand coercion in Asia. 

He called the reserve a pretext to advance China’s territorial ambitions “at the expense of its neighbors and regional stability.”

Scarborough Shoal, located just 120 nautical miles from Luzon island, is a traditional fishing ground and lies well within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

China seized de facto control in 2012 but has never been granted sovereign rights under international law.

Rubio’s intervention follows warnings from Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, who described the proposed "Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve" as a cover for “eventual occupation.” 

He said the move violates multiple legal frameworks, including the 2016 arbitral ruling at The Hague, which invalidated China’s claims based on its so-called nine-dash line.

Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it will lodge a formal protest, calling the plan “illegal and illegitimate.” Año said that if Beijing truly cared for the environment, it would acknowledge years of ecological destruction at the shoal, including large-scale coral damage and illegal harvesting of endangered species by Chinese fishing vessels.

China’s foreign ministry has rejected the criticism. Spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing’s actions are within its sovereign rights and aligned with international environmental goals. He urged the Philippines to stop “spreading disinformation” and respect China’s claims.

Scarborough Shoal remains one of the region’s most volatile flashpoints. While the 2016 ruling affirmed Filipino fishing rights, it left the question of sovereignty unresolved. 

Beijing’s continued patrols and construction activity have drawn protests from both Manila and Western capitals.

Rubio’s remarks are likely to raise pressure on the U.S. executive to expand patrols and security commitments under the U.S.–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. 

The South China Sea has been repeatedly identified as a red line by American Indo-Pacific commanders, and any shift in Scarborough’s status could trigger broader geopolitical consequences.