International
US Rejects China’s Scarborough Reef Measures, Backs Philippines
The Times of India1h
THE BRIEF
1
The United States has formally rejected China's recent 'nature reserve' designation for Scarborough Reef, labeling the move as a destabilizing effort to claim the South China Sea.
2
The US State Department reaffirmed its support for the Philippines, citing the 2016 Arbitral Award and UNCLOS as the legal basis for rejecting China's territorial claims.
3
The Philippines' Department of National Defense has officially dismissed China's 'illegal' labeling of the Panatag Shoal, maintaining its sovereign rights over the maritime territory.