China wants the world to believe it is going green in the West Philippine Sea. By declaring Scarborough Shoal a “national nature reserve,” Beijing claims it is safeguarding marine biodiversity. But beneath the eco-friendly packaging lies a far less noble goal: cementing control over contested waters. It is a green mask for gray-zone expansion—conservation as camouflage.
On paper, a marine reserve sounds like progress. Who could oppose protecting coral reefs and fish stocks? Yet for Filipino fishermen, Scarborough is not a concept on a map—it is a lifeline. For generations, small boats have returned to these reefs with nets full enough to feed families. Now, with China’s so-called sanctuary, that lifeline is being cut. What Beijing calls preservation, they live as dispossession. Empty reefs mean empty plates.
This is the theft at the heart of Scarborough: not just territory, but survival. Restricting traditional fishing under the banner of ecology is not environmentalism—it is exclusion dressed in green. China fences off a disputed shoal, then recasts itself as steward rather than aggressor. The reefs are real. So are the thieves.
Legally, the Philippines has the stronger claim. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” was declared baseless. On paper, Manila is right. On the water, however, law is no match for patrol vessels. This imbalance is the tragedy of the West Philippine Sea: sovereignty without security, rulings without teeth. Paper victories do not protect fishermen.
Allies are watching. Recent naval drills near Scarborough—staged by the Philippines, the United States, Australia, and Canada—signal growing unease with Beijing’s maneuvers. American warships sail under the banner of “freedom of navigation.” But symbolism does not feed families. Unless allies are willing to back international rulings with tangible support, China’s greenwashing will continue unchecked.
True environmental protection is not about exclusion. It is about shared responsibility. It does not mean pushing out traditional fishing communities or ignoring international rulings. It means cooperation across borders, where conservation is inclusive and sovereignty respected.
Scarborough should be a shared heritage of the sea, not a fenced-off symbol of power.
The world faces a choice. Either it sees through Beijing’s camouflage and defends both the reefs and the people who depend on them—or it lets the thieves write the rules of the sea. In the contest between reefs and thieves, neutrality is not an option.
On paper, a marine reserve sounds like progress. Who could oppose protecting coral reefs and fish stocks? Yet for Filipino fishermen, Scarborough is not a concept on a map—it is a lifeline. For generations, small boats have returned to these reefs with nets full enough to feed families. Now, with China’s so-called sanctuary, that lifeline is being cut. What Beijing calls preservation, they live as dispossession. Empty reefs mean empty plates.
This is the theft at the heart of Scarborough: not just territory, but survival. Restricting traditional fishing under the banner of ecology is not environmentalism—it is exclusion dressed in green. China fences off a disputed shoal, then recasts itself as steward rather than aggressor. The reefs are real. So are the thieves.
Legally, the Philippines has the stronger claim. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” was declared baseless. On paper, Manila is right. On the water, however, law is no match for patrol vessels. This imbalance is the tragedy of the West Philippine Sea: sovereignty without security, rulings without teeth. Paper victories do not protect fishermen.
Allies are watching. Recent naval drills near Scarborough—staged by the Philippines, the United States, Australia, and Canada—signal growing unease with Beijing’s maneuvers. American warships sail under the banner of “freedom of navigation.” But symbolism does not feed families. Unless allies are willing to back international rulings with tangible support, China’s greenwashing will continue unchecked.
True environmental protection is not about exclusion. It is about shared responsibility. It does not mean pushing out traditional fishing communities or ignoring international rulings. It means cooperation across borders, where conservation is inclusive and sovereignty respected.
Scarborough should be a shared heritage of the sea, not a fenced-off symbol of power.
The world faces a choice. Either it sees through Beijing’s camouflage and defends both the reefs and the people who depend on them—or it lets the thieves write the rules of the sea. In the contest between reefs and thieves, neutrality is not an option.
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Written by Akia Zuriel De Guzman Besin (RielTalk), Insight PH
Akia Zuriel De Guzman Besin (RielTalk), Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
