For various reasons, at present, the Nansha Islands within the traditional coastal line have almost been carved up. In fact, we only occupy seven reefs in more than 200 islands and reefs, and most of Nansha Islands have been occupied by neighboring countries. This geographical concept can only be called a concept on a map from now on. More than 800,000 square kilometers of the sea area within the traditional coastal line of the South China Sea have been illegally included in its sphere of influence by neighboring countries. According to the person in charge of China Offshore Oil Corporation, by the end of the 1990s, neighboring countries had drilled more than 1,000 wells in Nansha, and found more than 200 oil-bearing structures and 180 oil and gas fields (including 101 oil fields and 79 gas fields), with an annual output of 40.43 million tons of oil and 31 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 1999, respectively.

Among them, from April 1975 to 1990, Vietnam occupied 25 islands and reefs, of which 10 were stationed on 13 islands and reefs in the west of Nansha, forming an island chain area about 230 nautical miles from Nanzi Island to Anpo Shazhou, with a battalion of about 550 troops and a headquarters in Nanwei Island. Since September 1970, the Philippines has occupied eight islands and reefs, forming an island chain area of about 200 nautical miles from Beizi Island to Siling Reef, with a company of about 100 people stationed. Since August 1983, Malaysia has occupied the Shotgun Reef, Xingguangzi Reef and Nanhai Reef in the south of Nansha. It is estimated that there are about 100 troops stationed. However, in China, there are only six secondary reefs, namely Yongshu, Chigua, Huayang, Nanxun, Zhubi and Dongmen, with ocean observation stations or high-rise houses. Yongshu Reef is about 740 nautical miles away from the mainland of China, halfway from Taiping Island to Nanwei Island, and about 250 nautical miles away from Cam Ranh Bay at the intersection of the South China Sea Central Route (Hong Kong to Singapore) and Nanhua Waterway.