As China's long-term marine eco-environment protection efforts see remarkable results, it is calling for international collaboration to further improve the global ocean environment. A white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on July 11 details all the achievements, methods used, and appeals made.
Sun Shuxian, vice natural resources minister and head of the State Oceanic Administration, highlighted that China is participating in the formulation of international rules on environmental protection and resource conservation.
Since 2012, China has submitted more than 800 proposals to international organizations, aligning closely with major cooperation initiatives such as Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Major changes have taken place in marine ecological and environmental protection in China.
By 2023, the proportion of nearshore waters with good to excellent quality rose to 85 percent, a 13.7 percentage point increase from 2018 levels, marking six consecutive years of growth.
China has amended seven administrative regulations and more than 10 departmental rules to protect the ocean. More than 53,000 sewage discharge points in and out of the sea have been investigated, more than 16,000 have been rectified, and special supervision actions have been carried out.
China has also harnessed and restored 1,680 kilometers of coastline and more than 750,000 mu (50,000 hectares) of coastal wetlands since the 13th Five-Year Plan period. A red line for marine ecological protection of 150,000 square kilometers has been drawn, forming an important ecological barrier at sea.
In the field of marine economy, China's gross domestic marine product reached about 9.9 trillion RMB (1.4 trillion USD) in 2023, an increase of six percent over the previous year, with a growth rate 0.8 percentage point higher than that of the national GDP.
China is committed to the protection of the marine eco-environment. Significant strides have already been made in the construction of beautiful bays, as outlined in policies such as the 14th Five-Year Plan for Marine Eco-environment Protection.
At present, China is focusing on building more than 110 beautiful bays and clearing up marine garbage in 65 bays.