There are several reasons ASEAN and the United Nations have remained relatively quiet in response to China’s move to designate the Scarborough Shoal / Huangyan Island as a national nature reserve. 

What we do know: reactions from affected parties

Before looking at the silence of ASEAN/UN, it helps to see what others are saying:

• Philippines has strongly protested. It says the move is “illegitimate and unlawful,” violating international law including UNCLOS, the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, and the 2002 Declaration on Conduct in the South China Sea. 

• It describes the nature reserve move as a pretext for occupation, and calls for China to withdraw the State Council issuance. 

• Taiwan also denounced the plan, reaffirming its territorial claims in the South China Sea and saying China should not “unilaterally appropriate” the area. 

• United States via Secretary of State Marco Rubio, condemned the plan and said it “stands with the Philippines,” calling the move coercive and destabilizing. 

So there is international pushback, but mostly from directly involved states and U.S. allies.

ASEAN and the UN: Why the relative silence?

Here are possible reasons why ASEAN as a bloc and the United Nations have not made stronger statements so far (or been much more vocal):

ASEAN

1. Diverging interests among ASEAN members

• ASEAN includes many states with different relationships with China. Some are heavily economically tied to China; others are more cautious. Because of that diversity, there is often less consensus on how to respond to Beijing’s maritime claims. A strongly worded joint statement would require all (or most) members to agree, and that is hard to achieve.

• Some ASEAN members might prefer stability or incrementalism rather than confrontation, to avoid being caught in crossfire or having their own territorial issues raised.

2. ASEAN’s principle of neutrality / non‐interference

• ASEAN’s diplomatic style tends to prioritize consultation, quiet diplomacy, non-interference, and preserving regional harmony. Publicly condemning a claim by a big power like China is risky, especially in front of domestic pressures and economic dependencies.

• The pace of formal agreements in the region (for example, the long-delayed Code of Conduct in the South China Sea) shows how difficult it is for ASEAN to reach binding or forceful consensus. 

3. The Code of Conduct (CoC) still not finalized

• ASEAN + China have been negotiating a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea for many years. Because that is still not agreed (and there are disagreements over whether it should be legally binding, how to handle violations, etc.), ASEAN may be holding back so as not to prejudge how those rules will apply. A premature statement might be seen as taking sides in the negotiation.

4. Avoiding escalation

• ASEAN countries are wary of triggering a more intense conflict. Publicly condemning China too harshly might provoke retaliation or increased militarization. Some ASEAN states may see more benefit in behind-the-scenes diplomatic pressure rather than open confrontation.

United Nations

1. Mandate and limitations

• The UN generally plays more of a facilitating, monitoring, and mediating role than an enforcement role. It can highlight breaches of international law, but its ability to act is limited unless there is broad state support or a specific mechanism (e.g. Security Council, International Court) invoked.

• The issue of disputed sovereignty complicates things: UNESCO or UNEP or other parts of the UN might deal with environmental protection, but territorial disputes are more politicized and involve security, so the UN tends to avoid direct involvement unless invited by the parties or unless a major crisis emerges.

2. Respect for sovereignty and non-intervention

• Similar to ASEAN, the UN (especially through member states) pays respect to the principle of sovereignty. Since China claims that this falls within its territory and jurisdiction, UN officials may be cautious about appearing to contradict China without a clear legal basis, or they may want to defer to existing international law (such as UNCLOS) and arbitration outcomes.

3. Diplomatic inertia and focus

• There is often a delay before UN bodies respond to such developments; procedural issues (which body speaks, under what mandate, how to get consensus) slow things. Also, many issues compete for attention in the UN system, and sometimes smaller-scale disputes (from the UN’s global perspective) don’t get elevated unless there is wide international concern or dramatic consequences.

• The UN might already be considering, but statements or action may be delayed.

4. China’s influence in international forums

• China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council; a major power with influence in many UN agencies. Member states who might otherwise speak up may be wary of pushing too hard in UN channels for fear of diplomatic costs, or due to existing diplomatic ties.

Evidence of ASEAN / UN reaction (or lack thereof)

What we do see in public reporting:

• There is no strong joint ASEAN condemnation so far reported in the media regarding this reserve announcement. Reports note silence or milder statements, but not a unified bloc statement. (Media has flagged that ASEAN has been “quiet” or “measured”.) 

• UN has not (as of the latest reports) issued a major independent resolution or public statement specifically denouncing China’s nature reserve plan at Scarborough Shoal.

• Some earlier, related UN actions: The Philippines had already raised China’s baseline claims around Scarborough Shoal at the UN, and lodged protests over other unilateral Chinese actions. 

Why the hesitation is significant

The relative silence or muted responses matter for several reasons:

• It can signal to China that such administrative/legal steps (reserving areas, drawing baselines, etc.) may be tolerated if no strong coordinated pushback emerges.

• For ASEAN’s credibility: member states who are being directly affected (especially the Philippines) may feel ASEAN is not providing sufficient regional support, weakening trust in the organization’s ability to protect smaller states among larger neighbors.

• For international law: if unilateral moves by powerful states are allowed to stand without challenge, it may erode norms such as UNCLOS, arbitration decisions, and customary law about maritime zones, sovereignty, and freedom of navigation.

What might ASEAN / UN do (or reasons to expect action)

While silence so far is noticeable, it doesn’t mean inaction is certain. Potential routes for responses:

• ASEAN might issue a joint statement or foreign ministers’ communique that expresses concern or urges restraint, even if it stops short of full condemnation.

• They might push for accelerating or strengthening the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, to get clearer norms about environmental protection, access rights, and controlling unilateral claims.

• The UN could get involved via the Secretary-General, or through specific bodies (e.g., the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, or other UN human rights or environmental forums) if the Philippines formally requests intervention or if evidence of environmental damage is documented.

• International pressure from outside ASEAN (e.g. from the US, EU, Japan, Australia) might push ASEAN/UN to respond more strongly, particularly if concerns about freedom of navigation or environmental harm are raised globally.

In summary

ASEAN and the UN are quiet, or at least relatively so, about China’s nature reserve declaration at Scarborough Shoal because:

• ASEAN is wary of internal divisions, dependency on China, and avoids escalation.

• The Code of Conduct is not finalized, so ASEAN lacks a firm legal instrument for unified action.

• The UN tends to be cautious in sovereignty disputes, especially where claims overlap and robust legal mechanisms are involved; it may lack the consensus or institutional mandate to forcefully intervene at this stage.

• The competing claims, the high stakes, and potential costs of confrontation mean many states are weighing their responses carefully.