Maritime Silk Road to boost development of global blue economy

More than 200 delegates from 24 countries gathered in Fuzhou, Fujian province, over the weekend, and pledged to leverage the Maritime Silk Road to promote high-quality development of the global blue economy.

The consensus was reached at the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Local Government Cooperation and International Friendship Cities Dialogue, held on Saturday in Fuzhou — a coastal city designated as a key hub of the Maritime Silk Road initiative.

A joint initiative released at the event called on coastal cities to capitalize on their geographic advantages to help develop modern marine industrial systems. It identified port logistics, marine renewable energy, modern fisheries, biopharmaceuticals and deep-sea equipment manufacturing as key areas for cooperation.

The initiative also stressed the need to balance marine resource development with ecological conservation to promote a green and sustainable relationship between humans and the ocean.

Delegates voiced strong support for Xiamen, another coastal city in Fujian, in its bid to host the permanent secretariat of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction — also called the BBNJ Agreement or the High Seas Treaty.

The landmark international accord is aimed at protecting marine life in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction.

At the event, Fujian cities of Fuzhou, Sanming and Zhangzhou signed friendship agreements with cities in Brazil, Guyana, Cambodia, Morocco, Poland and Hungary. Fuzhou Port Group Co also signed a partnership agreement with Hambantota International Port Group in Sri Lanka.

Mau Thaknin, governor of Cambodia's Kampot province, said the development of the Maritime Silk Road was "not an abstract concept, but a real development opportunity" for Cambodia.

He said the two sides could prioritize the marine economy and expand cooperation in marine fisheries, seaweed farming, marine tourism and port logistics, with the aim of jointly developing marine resources and increasing the added value of marine industries.

To advance these efforts, he said his delegation would hold a business matchmaking meeting in Pingtan, an island city in Fujian, and welcome local enterprises to invest in the Fujian Special Economic Zone located in Kampot.

Rasaque Manhique, mayor of Maputo, Mozambique, said the city, a major coastal port in Southern Africa, had considerable potential for cooperation in port-related industries. He welcomed investment from Fujian enterprises to strengthen friendship and expand practical cooperation in the marine economy.

Han Xuya, president of the Chindo Business Center, said the ocean would become a key sector for future bilateral industrial growth, combining Indonesia's resources and markets with China's technology, equipment and complete industrial chains.

Han said a joint fisheries project was launched last month in Indonesia's Maluku province.

In its first phase, the project will deploy 33 modern fishing vessels to catch 9,500 metric tons of high-value fish annually and create 669 local jobs. Onshore plans include upgrading a cold-chain logistics facility with a capacity of 4,200 tons to connect cross-border trade directly with the Chinese market.

Zheng Yu, director of the Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries, said the province's robust marine economy provided a solid foundation for deeper international cooperation.

In 2025, Fujian's gross marine product exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan ($194 billion), ranking third nationwide for the 11th consecutive year.

The province has established the world's largest marine microbial strain bank and released China's first provincial-level marine carbon sink standard system. Its marine carbon sink trading volume accounts for more than half of the national total.

Zheng called for expanding cooperation in emerging marine industries, including renewable energy and biopharmaceuticals, and urged closer international collaboration to implement the BBNJ Agreement and safeguard the shared marine environment.

Contact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn