The mayor of China's Sansha city of Hainan Province in the South China Sea, Xiao Jie, recently outlined his vision for the future development of the Xisha Islands. He plans to turn the island group, which has been welcoming tourist cruises since 2013, into a Maldives-like tourist destination.

Promoting tourism in the region will undoubtedly provide more chances for people to have an actual glimpse of the gorgeous vistas, spectacular marine life and rich culture of this cluster of islands, which have been appearing in our elementary school textbooks since the 1970s, and have been a part of China since ancient times. Beijing has every right to make plans to develop every inch of its own territory.

Safeguarding the sovereignty of this area means not only guarding against poaching by fishermen from other nations and securing our access to natural resources, but more importantly, it requires us to protect the environment.

Before we start to look forward to fishing, diving, sea plane tours or island weddings on the newly established island resort, preventive measures must also be taken against possible over-fishing, pollution, and all kinds of environmental destruction that threaten natural resorts.

A very recent alarm bell over this issue sounded only a week ago when a deputy director at China's State Oceanic Administration said that 80 percent of the coral reefs in the South China Sea, including the Xisha Islands, have been lost since the 1970s, and the ecosystems of certain species in the waters have been suffering due to poaching and over-fishing.

Hainan Island, also located in the South China Sea, has witnessed such a paradox in the past years. As a paradise whose economy runs on its natural beauty, investors have been piling into tourism. However, due to overdependence on natural resources and the landscape, there has been disordered development of tourist activities and problems with sewage disposal which led to a series of environmental problems. This included destruction and degeneration of the offshore biome and excessive algae growth in the waters, until rules were put in place that gradually turned the situation around.

When it comes to tourism promotion, especially in the South China Sea, the priority should also be given to environmental protection. Related regulations and management systems need to be improved, protected coral reef areas must be established, and the environmental consciousness of both local people and tourists must be enhanced through more education and promotional activities.

While we strive to safeguard China's sovereignty in the South China Sea, we must also strive to protect the environment for everybody.