A report released from Beijing highlights the environmental harm that frequent human activities by the Philippines have caused at Xianbin Reef, situated in the Nansha Islands. This finding is the result of recent field investigations and remote sensing assessments, which have led Chinese scientists to commit to bolstering ecological protection and monitoring efforts in the South China Sea.

Xianbin Reef, part of China's Nansha Islands, is located to the east of Ren'ai Reef and is managed by Sansha in Hainan province, China. Recent reports from the China Coast Guard indicated that vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard had illegally entered the waters near Xianbin Reef and Ren'ai Reef without authorization from the Chinese government.

From May to July, the South China Sea Development Research Institute, alongside relevant authorities, conducted a detailed survey of the reef. The findings revealed that around the 23 survey points installed by the research team showed an average coral coverage of 24.7 percent, with some areas reaching up to 51.3 percent, which is comparatively high on a global scale. Xianbin Reef boasts 236 species of reef-building coral, encompassing 64 percent of the species found in the Nansha Islands.

Although limited instances of coral bleaching were reported due to seasonal temperature changes during summer, no coral diseases were identified, according to Wei Zheng, a senior engineer associated with the research institute. The analysis of coral debris from six of the cays at Xianbin reaffirmed their natural formation, contradicting claims from the Philippines suggesting that artificial materials had been deposited by China, resulting in coral degradation.

While the coral ecosystem shows resilience, Xiong Xiaofei, chief scientist at the South China Sea Ecological Center, noted that recent Philippine activities have inflicted some environmental damage. A field investigation revealed that a Philippine Coast Guard vessel had been stationed in the lagoon of Xianbin Reef since April, along with sightings of fishing boats and littering activities.

Chen Xiangmiao, deputy director at the Marine Science Research Institute, expressed concerns that the Philippines may be employing historical strategies to secure a long-term presence at Xianbin Reef, similar to past actions at Ren'ai Reef and Huangyan Island. He criticized the spread of misinformation regarding China’s intentions to create artificial islands in the area, asserting that these allegations are unfounded.

In light of these developments, Wei emphasized the necessity of strengthening future efforts toward assessment, monitoring, and protection of Xianbin Reef and its vicinity to mitigate adverse effects caused by human actions.