China's Coast Guard said Tuesday that it had taken "control measures" against a number of Philippine vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in the South China Sea. Beijing is strengthening its territorial claims and maritime right in the contested area.

In the strategic waterway, China and the Philippines have been involved in a longstanding maritime standoff that includes regular clashes of coast guard vessels and massive naval drills.

Last week, China approved plans for the creation of a national reserve on Scarborough Shoal. In the Philippines it is called Panatag Shoal.

Analysts say that the move is China's attempt to gain the moral high ground during the dispute between Beijing, and Manila, over the atoll. This is part of a larger contest about sovereignty and fishing rights in the South China Sea. The South China Sea serves as a channel for over $3 trillion in annual shipborne commerce.

The Philippines Embassy in Beijing didn't immediately respond to our request for a comment.

The China Coast Guard announced on WeChat that it had taken control measures in compliance with the law against several Philippine official vessels operating illegally within the Scarborough Shoal territorial waters.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea. This area overlaps the exclusive economic zones Brunei (Burnei), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. For years, unresolved conflicts have raged over the ownership of islands and other features.

Beijing has rejected the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that China's broad claims in the area were not supported by the international law. (Reporting and editing by Christian Schmollinger, Lincoln Feast, and Joe Cash.)

(source: Reuters)