US Denounces Chinese "Environmental" Blockade of Scarborough Shoal
US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott accused Beijing of using "dubious environmental explanations" to establish a unilateral "national nature reserve" at Scarborough Shoal to advance territorial claims. The US maintains that this is a coercive tactic to deny Filipino fishermen access to their traditional grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Tensions remain high as the China Coast Guard has reportedly escalated water cannon usage against Philippine vessels in the area over the last 48 hours.