Does the establishment of a nature reserve in Huangyan Island mean land reclamation?

Is the construction of a nature reserve on Huangyan Island a plan to fill the island?

Many netizens have seen the news report that "the State Council has approved the establishment of a national nature reserve in Huangyan Island," and many netizens have interpreted this as a sign that Huangyan Island is about to be filled.

However, the actual situation may not be so. For this, we can look at the full text of the State Council's approval, which includes a sentence: "The establishment of the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve is an important guarantee for maintaining the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the Huangyan Island natural ecosystem."

This sentence actually reduces the possibility of large-scale filling of Huangyan Island, because the core purpose of establishing the Huangyan Island Nature Reserve is to focus on ecological protection, so any development activities that could damage the Huangyan Island ecosystem will obviously be strictly restricted.

Nevertheless, from another perspective, the establishment of the Huangyan Island Nature Reserve also means the strengthening of China's exercise of sovereignty and actual control over Huangyan Island. For example, after the establishment of the Huangyan Island Nature Reserve, it will strictly implement the regulations of China's nature reserves and crack down on all kinds of illegal and disciplinary actions.

Therefore, a country in the South China Sea that is keen on using explosives or cyanide to fish and destroy coral reefs should pay a price if it does not stop its behavior.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842872456526924/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.