Why is China setting up a nature reserve in one of the world’s most contested waterways?

China’s latest nature reserve is a rock in the middle of one of the world’s most contested waterways. On Wednesday, the Chinese government approved a proposal to establish a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a hotly contested reef in the South China Sea, in an unprecedented move that could further stoke tensions with rival claimant the Philippines.The reserve will cover more than