Part 8/12:
Adding to the tense atmosphere, a Chinese navy warship broadcast warnings of "live fire exercises," prompting Filipino fishermen in the vicinity to evacuate in alarm. The incident coincides with China’s recent designation of part of Scarborough Shoal as a national nature reserve—a move Manila dismisses as a cover for expanding control over the area.
This sequence of events exemplifies the pattern of Chinese assertiveness in the region: taking strategic steps to consolidate territorial claims while denying accusations of aggression. The Philippines, supported by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, has lodged a formal protest, condemning China's use of environmental protection as a pretext for territorial expansion.