Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Rik Glauert
00:19 Lin Jian | Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
00:46 Angelica Escalona | Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
01:40 Fernando Hicap | Pamalakaya fishing alliance president
02:38 Ray Powell | Director, SeaLight marine transparency initiative

Script:

This is Scarborough Shoal. Seized by China from the Philippines after a tense naval standoff in 2012, it’s long been a flashpoint in the sensitive waters of the South China Sea.

Last week in a new twist, Beijing declared the rich coral ecosystem a national nature reserve.

00:15-00:30
+++ SOT Lin Jian CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (Chinese) +++
It conforms to China's domestic and international laws, and fully reflects that China, as a responsible big country, actively protects the ecological environment and promotes the mission of achieving sustainable development.+++

00:30-00:45
The only problem? Scarborough shoal is inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone ... 
its more than 900km from China’s southernmost point and just 200km from the Philippine coast. It's claimed by both countries.

00:45-01:12
+++ SOT Angelica Escalona PHILIPPINES DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESPERSON +++
The Philippines likewise has the exclusive authority to establish environmental protection areas over its territory and relevant maritime zones. The Philippines will be issuing a formal diplomatic protest against this illegitimate and unlawful action by China.+++

01:12- 01:38
China says virtually the whole of the South China Sea – a vital water way for global trade and home to rich fishing grounds – is part of its sovereign territory.
Despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that Beijing’s claims have no legal basis, China has been occupying islands, reefs, and shoals, often dredging up coral to build military infrastructure ... 
... disrupting the livelihoods of Phillipine fishers.  

01:38 – 02:01
+++  SOT Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA PRESIDENT (an alliance of fisherfolk organizations in the Philippines) +++"They are hypocrites. The government of China are hypocrites. How could they declare Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as theirs to build a nature reserve, they are the ones destroying Scarborough Shoal in the first place.

02:01 – 02:37
While China has been accused of damaging coral and marine life there, it has not built any military outposts in the Shoals, as it has in other parts of the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands. 
02:09: INSERT: Location: Fiery Cross Reef, Spratly Islands
China's expansion is something Manila — backed by its defense treaty ally the U.S. — has vowed to push back against. Violent confrontations at sea are on the rise

02:20 INSERT: (FILE - AUGUST 31, 2024) (PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD - Must on-screen courtesy "Philippine Coast Guard")
But this is a new move for Beijing – declaring a “nature reserve” in a high-profile disputed area. So why the change in tactic?

02:37- 02:58
SOT +++ Ray Powell DIRECTOR, SEALIGHT +++
 "I think that they are trying to put out there that the takeover of Scarborough Shoal is complete, that the Philippines would be best, uh, and the rest of the world would be best served simply to move along, except that China is going to be the steward of Scarborough Shoal and you know that it will be an environmentally responsible steward. .+++

02:58-03:27
In the small villages along the Philippine coast, fishers can do little more than watch anxiously. China talks of sending researchers, officials, and even tourists to nearby Scarborough, locals fear fresh clashes with Chinese boats — and a harder time making a living.
Many here believe the “nature reserve” is less about conservation and more about changing the rules of the game — once again leaving them caught in the middle of a struggle for influence in these contested waters.
END