On August 30, "A Survey Report on the Coral Reef Ecosystem of Xianbin Jiao" (referred to as the “report”), jointly compiled by the South China Sea Development Research Institute under the Ministry of Natural Resources and other institutions, was released in Beijing. The Report reveals that the coral reef ecosystem of Xianbin Jiao is generally healthy, with some localized damage, and confirms that the six existing cays are naturally formed. It also refutes the Philippines’ claims that “China dumped  coral debris at Xianbin Jiao and caused massive coral bleaching and death in the region,” are without any no scientific or factual basis.

What are the key indicators and data in this health report on Xianbin Jiao? How has the anchoring of Philippine Coast Guard vessels in the lagoon and their frequent activities impacted the region’s ecological environment? What are the Philippines’ intentions in continuing to spread fake informationregarding the South China Sea issue? To address these questions, CMG Voice of the South China Sea (VSCS) interviewed Xiong Xiaofei, Senior Engineer at the South China Sea Ecological Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Chief Scientist of the Coral Reef Survey Mission, as well as Chen Xiangmiao, Associate Researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, for an in-depth analysis.

VSCS: This report is the first comprehensive assessment of the coral reef ecosystem at Xianbin Jiao. What did you discover about the actual conditions there?

Xiong Xiaofei: The coral reef ecosystem at Xianbin Jiao is generally healthy, with some localized damage. The overall  reef-building coral coverage area at  Xianbin Jiao reef platform has stayed generally stable. The coverage rate of reef-building corals is relatively high compared to major coral reef regions worldwide. There is a large variety of fishes and benthic macro-invertebrates, as well as rare creatures such as the long-snouted spinner dolphin, green sea turtle, and hawksbill turtle have been observed. However, the reef-building corals at local areas are threatened by crown-of-thorns starfishes, fleshy macroalgaeand human activities. The potential risks posed by localized coral bleaching and the presence of a small number of crown-of-thorns starfish should be carefully monitored.

VSCS: In response to the Philippines’ claims that China has artificially piled coral debris on Xianbin Jiao, causing widespread coral bleaching and death, what did your investigation reveal?

Xiong Xiaofei: Our investigation found that the six existing cays at Xianbin Jiao are composed oflarge bioclastics (mainly coral debris) . Three of these cays are exposed above the sea level  during high tide. On one hand, the reef has a high coverage of reef-building corals, with a significant proportion being branching corals. These branching and foliose corals are more susceptible to damage and death from wave impacts caused by monsoon-induced waves. The broken coral fragments then serve as the main material for cay development and formation. Our calculations indicate that there are sufficient material sources for the development and formation of cays at Xianbin Jiao. On the other hand, the location and development of these cays align with natural processes. Radioactive sediment tracing results also show that the sediments in the cays and nearby areas are highly homogeneous, with no evidence of terrestrial material input. These findings strongly indicate that the six cays are naturally formed. Additionally, while we did observe some coral bleaching during the investigation, it was isolated and related to seasonal temperature increases, not indicative of widespread coral bleaching. Therefore, the Philippines’ claims that “China dumpted coral debris at Xianbin Jiao and caused massive coral bleaching and death in the region” are without any scientific or factual basis.

VSCS: Why is the Philippines using environmental issues to discredit China over the Xianbin Jiao situation?

Chen Xiangmiao: The Philippines’ so-called environmental concerns are merely a tactic to tarnish China’s image and create negative publicity. This tactic is low-cost, involves spreading unsubstantiated claims, and is hard for the public to verify, making it highly confusing and misleading. To further its illegal territorial expansion in the South China Sea, the Philippines has fabricated many similar lies to deceive the international community. It’s fair to say that lying has become a habit for the Philippines. In the case of the ecological environment of Xianbin Jiao, they are engaging in another “thief crying ‘stop thief’” farce. This time, Chinese researchers have used field sampling and scientific data analysis to present indisputable evidence, which has effectively exposed the Philippines’ lies. This is yet another resounding blow to habitual liars.

VSCS: Since April this year, the Philippines has illegally stationed the Coast Guard vessel 9701 in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao, citing alleged coral damage by China. During this period, the Philippines has frequently sent vessels to intrude and gather at Xianbin Jiao. Have these recent actions had any impact on the coral reef ecosystem?

Xiong Xiaofei: The prolonged presence of the Philippine Coast Guard vessel at Xianbin Jiao, combined with the effects of waves and currents, has caused ongoing damage to the surrounding reef structures due to its anchors and chains. Additionally, the frequent activities of the accompanying speedboats have also affected the coral reef ecosystem.

During our investigation, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 9701 repeatedly dispatched small boats to interfere with our regular operations and even sent divers to disrupt our diving areas on two occasions. Several Philippine fishing boats were found to be illegally operating in the northwest part of the lagoon without permission. We discovered plastic debris marked with Philippine identifiers and discarded shellfish remains underwater in the Filipino fishing boat activity area. Moreover, the coral cover in areas surrounding these activities was lower compared to other regions, with extensive distributions of dead coral fragments.

VSCS: Why has the Philippines recently been frequently intruding into Xianbin Jiao and even intentionally colliding with Chinese Coast Guard vessels? What aims are they trying to achieve?

Chen Xiangmiao: Clearly, the Philippines’ actions are organized and premeditated. On one hand, by anchoring their vessels, the Philippines aims to establish a long-term presence at Xianbin Jiao, further asserting actual control. On the other hand, they want to use Xianbin Jiao as a transfer point or a staging area to move supplies to other locations in the South China Sea. Since August, the Philippines has been sending Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels to intrude into China’s Xianbin Jiao in the Nansha Qundao under the pretext of supply missions. In reality, these so-called “supply missions” are just “political stunts” to support their fishing activities, masking their gradual territorial expansion in the South China Sea. After these supply attempts failed, the Philippines resorted to air-dropping supplies and accused China of being inhumane. In reality, the Philippine Coast Guard’s risky use of helicopters to air-drop supplies under severe weather conditions poses a high risk of the helicopters crashing into the sea or potentially falling and hitting vessel 9701. The Philippines is gambling with the lives of its personnel, deceiving the public, and misleading international opinion, making them the real perpetrator of inhumanity. Moving forward, we must be wary of the Philippines continuing to use fishermen and fishing boats as a cover, and potentially staging incidents with our enforcement vessels to create disputes and mislead international opinion.