China tightens Huangyan Dao reserve rules amid Philippines dispute

Behrampur,UPDATED: Aug 1, 2026 20:14 IST

China has issued management measures for the Huangyan Dao Nature Reserve in the disputed South China Sea, a move that is likely to sharpen its maritime dispute with the Philippines, which also claims the shoal.

The new rules set out tighter controls over activity in the reserve, including a ban on fishing, mining and the extraction of corals, coral reefs or giant clams without prior approval. They also bar individuals and organisations from entering the reserve except where allowed under laws and regulations or for conservation and management work. Earlier on Saturday, the Chinese military also carried out a joint naval-air training exercise in and around Huangyan Dao.

According to an official announcement, the measures are "a key step in safeguarding the diversity, stability and sustainability of the Huangyan Dao natural ecosystem". Under the rules, a routine patrol system will be put in place to promptly investigate and deal with violations in accordance with the law.

State-run Xinhua news agency said the rules were jointly issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Forestry and Grassland Administration, the China Coast Guard and the Hainan provincial government. It said violators "will be held accountable under relevant laws and regulations".

The rules say that, without prior approval, activities that harm rare marine species and the natural ecosystem are prohibited. These include fishing, mining, and the extraction of corals, coral reefs or giant clams. They also say that no individual or organisation may enter the reserve, except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations or for activities organised for conservation and management purposes.

Earlier on Saturday, the PLA Southern Theatre Command conducted what the Chinese military described as a joint naval-air training exercise focused on multiple realistic training subjects in the territorial sea and airspace of Huangyan Dao and surrounding areas.

China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. The latest tensions between Beijing and Manila followed an accusation by the Philippines military last month that the Chinese Coast Guard injured one of its sailors in a scuffle at the Second Thomas Shoal, which is also claimed by both countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied the allegation.

The Philippines has asserted its sovereignty over the area, especially after an international tribunal in 2016 dismissed China's claims. A five-judge tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, ruling on a petition filed by the Philippines, struck down Beijing's claims of historic rights to resources within sea areas falling within the "nine-dash line". The tribunal said China's claims over more than 90 per cent of the South China Sea were incompatible with the exclusive economic zones provided for under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. China rejected the ruling and said its rights over the South China Sea are legal, and it has never accepted the tribunal award.

The measures on the Huangyan Dao reserve, along with the military exercise in nearby waters and airspace, come against the backdrop of these competing claims and renewed friction between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

With PTI Inputs

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