US slams Chinese ‘nature reserve’ as effort to claim South China Sea

The United States has slammed China over a territorial dispute with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a key maritime region that has emerged as a flash point for questions of regional sovereignty. In a statement on Saturday, the US State Department said China was seeking to deny Filipino fishermen access to the area surrounding the Scarborough Reef, near the island of Luzon. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3China puts the ‘squeeze’ on Taiwan with new maritime patrols list 2 of 3Philippines accuses China of using water cannon on vessels for second day list 3…