Beijing [China], September 20 (ANI): China's recent actions in the South China Sea, including water cannon attacks on Philippine vessels and the creation of a disputed nature reserve, are raising alarms among experts who say Beijing is attempting to legitimise its control over contested waters. According to The Epoch Times, Chinese coast guard ships targeted a Philippine vessel near the Scarborough Shoal with high-pressure water cannons. The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, however, invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, including the nine-dash line, declaring Beijing's moves in Philippine waters illegal. On September 9, China approved a nature reserve covering 3,500 hectares at Scarborough Shoal, claiming it was meant to protect marine biodiversity. Parada stated that China's environmental claims are contradicted by its history of destructive practices in the South China Sea, including unregulated fishing and artificial island construction.