China says it's attaching great importance to the ecological protection of Nansha islands in the South China sea. The response comes after the Philippines claimed China's construction was destroying coral reefs in the area.  

"Nansha Islands belong to the Chinese territory and China is the owner of these islands. We care about the ecology and environment protection of the area more than any other country, organization and personnel. We have been closely monitoring the construction work with ecological protection to realise a sustainable development of an island construction," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei.

Hong Lei said such projects have very limited impact on the ecological environment. He said when the construction is completed, the ecological and environmental conservation capacity of these islands will be greatly improved.