Why in the news?

• China’s coast guard raised its ag at disputed Scarborough Shoal on National Day, shortly after declaring it a nature reserve.

Scarborough Shoal

• What is it?: The Scarborough Shoal is an oceanic coral atoll that developed on top of a seamount into a triangle shape in the eastern part of the South China Sea.
• Fact: It is the largest atoll in the South China Sea.
• Significance: The deep waters around the shoal make it a productive fishing area, rich in marine life.
• Dispute: Dispute between the China and the Philippines.