MANILA, Philippines – A study by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) showed that at least 20,000 acres of reef in the South China Sea have been destroyed by China through dredging, landfill, and illegal giant clam harvests.
Estimated figures for damage caused by other claimant states in the South China Sea pale in comparison – around 1,500 acres by Vietnam, and just over 100 by other claimant states, including the Philippines.
Greg Poling, senior fellow and director of CSIS’ Southeast Asia Program and AMTI, said physically stopping China would be impossible. “The only way to stop this is to convince Beijing to stop this,” he told Philippine media during a briefing in Manila on Thursday, February 22.
Poling proposes an “international coalition,” beginning with Southeast Asian claimant states, to survey the damage, account for it, and even hold joint maritime research in the area. He reckons China should be part of those efforts, too.
Watch the CSIS briefing in full here. – Rappler.com
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