A picture of China's Huangyan Dao and an illustration of the scope and functional zones of the Huangyan Dao national nature reserve released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday local time issued a statement backing the Philippines' so-called rejection of China's plan to establish the Huangyandao National Nature Reserve, and Chinese observers criticized Rubio's moves as baseless interference in China's domestic affairs. It serves only to advance Washington's malicious intent to provoke the Philippines into containing China at the expense of regional stability, they said.

A Bloomberg report on Saturday cited Rubio's statement calling China's move "another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea" which would "continue to undermine regional stability." The report said Rubio's statement backed the Philippines in rejecting China's plan.

Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute at Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Saturday that the US support for the Philippines' rejection was not about regional stability but reflected Washington's sinister intention to instigate the Philippines to contain China.

"China's legitimate efforts in environmental protection within its sovereign territory comply with domestic and international law. It is Washington's actions that truly undermine regional stability," Gu said.

China's State Council on Wednesday approved a proposal from the Ministry of Natural Resources to establish Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve, according to an announcement published on the State Council's official website.

The creation of the national nature reserve is described in the approval document as a key measure to safeguard the diversity, stability, and sustainability of Huangyan Dao's ecosystem, according to the State Council's approval document.

Responding to reports on Thursday that the Philippine government had "strongly protested" China's plan to establish the national nature reserve in Huangyan Dao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory. He stressed that creating the reserve is fully within China's sovereign rights and is intended to protect the island's ecological environment while safeguarding its diversity, continuity, and sustainability. This move is in line with China's domestic laws and international law, and fully shows that China, a responsible major country, is resolved to actively protect the ecological environment and a sustainable planet, he said. 

The spokesperson further emphasized that the scope of Philippine territory is defined by international treaties and has never included Huangyan Dao. China does not accept the Philippines' groundless accusations and so-called protests. We urge the Philippines to stop violating China's sovereignty, cease provocations and spreading disinformation, and stop creating factors that could complicate the situation at sea.

China has ample capability, confidence, and strength to safeguard its sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and the ecological development of the national nature reserve. Just as we previously declared the establishment of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, once announced, we must uphold and enforce the rights associated with it, Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Saturday.