US slams Chinese actions in South China Sea

The United States on Saturday accused China of “destabilizing” activity near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, saying it is using “dubious” environmental explanations to advance its territorial claims.
Scarborough Shoal is a fish-rich reef formation 240 kilometers (124 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon and hundreds of kilometers away from mainland China. Both Beijing and Manila claim the flashpoint coral atoll.
“The United States rejects China’s ongoing attempts to enforce its destabilizing ‘national nature reserve’ at Scarborough Reef and deny Filipino fishermen access to their traditional fishing ground,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott sai...