On July 11, the State Council Information Office released the white paper titled "China's Marine Ecological Environmental Protection." Excluding the foreword and conclusion, the white paper is divided into seven sections: building a harmonious marine ecological environment that balances humans and the sea; promoting coordinated advancement of marine ecological environmental protection; adopting a systematic approach to managing the marine ecological environment; conducting marine ecological conservation and restoration in a scientific manner; strengthening supervision and management of the marine ecological environment; enhancing the level of green and low-carbon development in the marine sector; and carrying out comprehensive international cooperation on marine ecological environmental protection.

The white paper points out that China is a firm promoter and active participant in the protection of the marine ecological environment. Safeguarding the marine ecological environment is crucial to building a Beautiful China and a strong maritime nation. Over the years, China has adhered to the principle of prioritizing ecology and adopting a systematic approach to governance, coordinating and balancing the relationship between development and protection. By pursuing high-level protection to support high-quality development, China is striving to create a marine ecological environment characterized by harmony between humans and the sea.

The white paper points out that, on the new journey ahead, China will uphold the new development philosophy, advance ecological civilization in marine areas, and continue to build a marine ecological environment characterized by harmony between humans and the sea. Upholding the spirit of having a global vision and pursuing win-win cooperation, China will put the concept of a community with a shared future for the ocean into practice through concrete actions. We are willing to work together with all countries around the world to lay a solid foundation for marine ecological civilization, jointly pursue a path of green marine development, and ensure that the ocean remains a beautiful home where humanity can thrive and rely on for its development—thus jointly building a cleaner and more beautiful world.

The white paper states that China’s marine ecological conservation efforts have advanced through inheritance and innovation, striving to build a marine ecological environment characterized by harmony between humans and the sea. Uphold green transformation and low-carbon development. The azure seas and silver beaches are also green mountains and clear waters—indeed, they represent both “golden mountains and silver hills.” China adheres to the concept of green development, explores pathways for green marine development, and promotes a shift in marine development practices toward a circular, resource-efficient model. We are vigorously developing green industries such as eco-tourism and eco-fisheries, continuously expanding channels for realizing the value of ecological products, and using high-level protection of the marine ecosystem to foster high-quality economic development and create a high-quality life in coastal regions. Based on the “dual-carbon” strategic goals and taking pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction as key drivers, we will synergistically promote carbon sequestration and emission reduction in the marine sector. We will develop new green and low-carbon economic models such as marine ranching and offshore wind power, thereby facilitating the green and low-carbon transformation of marine industries and accelerating the promotion of sustainable, green, and low-carbon development of the marine sector.

Cultivate a green foundation for the marine economy. Actively pursuing the dual-carbon goals, we are integrating green and low-carbon principles into the development model of the marine economy, promoting sustainable development of marine fisheries, fostering green transformation in port operations, shipping, and shipbuilding, and scientifically developing and utilizing clean ocean energy. As a result, the green transition of the marine industry has achieved positive outcomes. Clean ocean energy is booming. The capacity to harness clean energy from the ocean continues to improve, and the scale and share of clean energy are expanding. By the end of 2023, China’s cumulative installed capacity of offshore wind power reached 37.69 million kilowatts, accounting for approximately 50% of the global total and ranking first worldwide for four consecutive years. Marine renewable energy is rapidly developing. The megawatt-scale tidal energy generator “Fenjin,” continuously delivers green energy to the national power grid. China’s first domestically developed megawatt-scale wave energy generation platform for deep and distant seas, the “Nankun” vessel, provides clean power supply to remote islands and reefs. Meanwhile, the deep-sea aquaculture platform “Penghu” achieves self-sufficiency in clean energy by integrating wave energy and solar power generation systems along with energy storage devices.

The full text of the white paper is as follows:

China's Marine Ecological Environmental Protection

(July 2024)

People's Republic of China

State Council Information Office

Table of Contents

Preface

I. Building a harmonious marine ecological environment with a thriving human population

II. Promote coordinated advancement of marine ecological and environmental protection

(1) Planning-led

(2) Protection in accordance with the law

(3) Institutional Guarantees

III. Systemic Governance of the Marine Ecological Environment

(1) Comprehensive Governance of Key Marine Areas

(2) Collaborative Governance of Land-Based Pollution

(3) Precise Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution

(4) Devote full efforts to building beautiful bays.

IV. Scientifically Conduct Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration

(1) Strengthen the marine ecological barrier.

(2) Implement marine ecological restoration

(3) Strictly guard the defense line against marine disasters.

(4) Launch a demonstration initiative for the creation of harmonious and beautiful islands.

(5) Build an ecological coastal zone.

V. Strengthen the supervision and management of the marine ecological environment.

(1) Implement spatial use control and environmental zoning management.

(2) Conduct monitoring and surveys

(3) Strict regulatory enforcement

(4) Strengthen assessment and supervision.

6. Enhance the level of green and low-carbon development in the marine sector.

(1) Promote the efficient utilization of marine resources.

(2) Strengthen the green foundation of the marine economy.

(3) Exploring the Realization of Ecological Product Value

(4) Launch a nationwide green and low-carbon initiative.

7. Fully promote international cooperation on marine ecological and environmental protection.

(1) Actively fulfill commitments and participate in global governance.

(2) Expanding the “circle of friends” for maritime cooperation

(3) Expand cooperation in deep-sea and polar scientific research.

(4) Widely carry out foreign assistance training.

Closing remarks

Preface

Oceans cover approximately 71% of the Earth's surface and serve as the cradle of life and the source of human civilization. The marine ecological environment is crucial to maintaining the planet’s ecological balance and ensuring the rational use of resources; it is vital for the sustainable development of human civilization and for shaping both the present and future of a community with a shared maritime destiny. Protecting the marine ecological environment plays an important role in safeguarding national ecological security, promoting the sustainable development of oceans, and achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and the sea. Firmly protecting and improving the marine environment, as well as conserving and sustainably utilizing marine resources, is a shared responsibility and mission for all nations.

China is a firm promoter and active participant in the protection of marine ecological environments. Safeguarding the marine ecological environment is crucial to building a Beautiful China and a strong maritime nation. Over the years, China has adhered to the principle of prioritizing ecology and adopting a systematic approach to governance, striking a balance between development and conservation, and using high-level protection to underpin high-quality development, thereby striving to create a harmonious marine ecological environment where humans and the sea coexist in harmony.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important remarks on marine ecological conservation, emphasizing that “we must care for the ocean as we would care for life itself.” Guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has adapted to the new situation, new tasks, and new requirements in marine ecological conservation, and has carried out a series of fundamental, pioneering, and long-term initiatives, thereby driving historic, transformative, and comprehensive changes in marine ecological conservation. Through tireless efforts, the overall quality of China’s marine ecosystem has improved; the ecosystem service functions of specific marine areas have been significantly enhanced; marine resources are being developed and utilized in an orderly manner; the marine ecological governance system continues to be refined and strengthened; and the public’s sense of gain, happiness, and security in their interactions with the sea has markedly increased. As a result, China’s marine ecological conservation efforts have achieved remarkable results. China actively promotes international cooperation in marine environmental protection, earnestly fulfills its responsibilities and obligations under international conventions, and has put forward Chinese solutions and contributed Chinese strength to global marine environmental governance, demonstrating the commitment and responsibility of a major country.

This white paper is released to introduce China’s concepts, practices, and achievements in marine ecological conservation, enhance the international community’s understanding of China’s efforts in this field, and promote international cooperation in marine ecological conservation.

I. Building a harmonious marine ecological environment with a thriving human population

The marine cause is closely linked to the survival and development of our nation, as well as to the rise and fall, security and stability of our country. Protecting the marine ecological environment is essential for building a modern society in which humanity and nature coexist harmoniously. China fully implements the new development philosophy, attaches great importance to marine ecological conservation, and, based on its basic national conditions and stage of development, continuously deepens its understanding of marine ecological protection, steadily improves the marine ecological conservation system, and accelerates the advancement of marine ecological civilization.

Since the founding of New China, as China’s marine endeavors have continued to develop, the country has attached great importance to marine ecological and environmental issues and has paid close attention to the protection of the marine ecosystem. Following the establishment of the State Oceanic Administration in 1964, China gradually put in place a comprehensive management system for its marine ecological environment. The promulgation of the Marine Environmental Protection Law in 1982 marked the entry of China’s marine environmental protection efforts onto a track of rule of law. In 1999, the Marine Environmental Protection Law was revised, shifting marine environmental protection from a focus on pollution prevention and control toward a more balanced approach that also takes into account ecological conservation. China formulated the “China’s Agenda for the 21st Century on the Ocean,” implementing the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promoting the systematic and professional development of marine ecological protection. In 2023, the Marine Environmental Protection Law was revised once again, achieving a systemic shift toward integrated land-and-sea management and comprehensive governance.

China is committed to enhancing the synergy between land-based and marine pollution prevention and control, as well as the holistic approach to ecological and environmental protection. It has integrated marine ecological and environmental protection into the national ecological and environmental protection system, gradually bridging the gap between land and sea, strengthening the coordinated management of land- and marine-related ecological and environmental protection functions, and establishing and improving a comprehensive marine ecological and environmental governance system that integrates land and sea efforts. By continuously strengthening marine pollution prevention and control, actively promoting marine ecological conservation and restoration, and deeply engaging in targeted, comprehensive governance campaigns in key marine areas, China has achieved significant improvements in marine environmental quality, markedly enhanced ecosystem service functions in localized marine regions, and accelerated the orderly development and utilization of marine resources as well as the green transformation of the marine economy.

China’s marine ecological conservation efforts are developing through inheritance and innovating through exploration, striving to build a marine ecological environment characterized by harmony between humans and the sea.

— Uphold respect for nature and prioritize ecological considerations. Firmly establish the guiding principles of respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature; objectively understand the natural laws governing marine ecosystems; and, starting from the evolutionary processes and intrinsic mechanisms of marine ecosystems, focus on enhancing the self-regulating, self-purifying, and self-recovering capacities of marine ecosystems, thereby strengthening ecosystem stability and ecological service functions. Adhere to bottom-line thinking and give priority to ecology, integrating the construction of a marine ecological civilization into the overall framework of marine development, solidifying the protective barrier for the marine ecological environment, and promoting the scientific and rational exploitation and utilization of marine resources to foster harmony between humans and the ocean.

— Uphold integrated protection and systematic governance. Marine ecological and environmental protection is a systematic undertaking. China adheres to a systems-thinking approach, taking a holistic and coordinated perspective; it emphasizes both development and protection equally, and simultaneously promotes pollution prevention and ecological restoration. We advance marine ecological and environmental protection through integrated land-and-sea planning. We also uphold the synergy between rivers and seas, and the mutual support between mountains and coastlines, breaking down barriers between onshore waters, terrestrial and marine environments, and upstream and downstream areas within river basins. We are establishing collaborative mechanisms for protection, governance, regulation, and law enforcement that foster regional linkages and interdepartmental coordination, and exploring the establishment of an integrated, comprehensive governance system that synergizes coastal, river basin, and marine-area management.

— Uphold law-based and regulation-compliant governance with stringent oversight. China protects the marine ecological environment through the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law. We adhere to law-based management of the seas, comprehensively promote the formulation and revision of relevant laws and regulations, establish a legal framework for marine ecological protection, and implement the most stringent systems for marine ecological governance. We strengthen routine, full-process supervision and management—including regional control, monitoring and investigation, regulatory enforcement, and performance assessment and inspection—of the marine ecological environment. We leverage the powerful role of central ecological and environmental inspections and the supervisory functions of the national natural resources inspections, taking strong and decisive measures to crack down on and punish severely any acts that damage the marine ecological environment.

— Uphold innovation-driven development and technology-led advancement. China is committed to innovation-driven development, strengthening the technological system for marine ecological protection, as well as innovating in monitoring, assessment, and institutional mechanisms. By making science-based decisions and adopting targeted measures, we are promoting a digital and intelligent transformation and upgrade of marine ecological protection. We are implementing the “Science and Technology Revitalize the Ocean” strategy, fully leveraging the leading role of science and technology in marine ecological protection, striving to break through technological bottlenecks that constrain both marine ecological protection and high-quality development of the marine economy, and employing a variety of land-, sea-, air-, and space-based approaches to enhance our capabilities and technical levels in marine ecological monitoring, governance, regulation, and emergency response.

— Uphold green transformation and low-carbon development. The azure seas and silver beaches are both lush green mountains and clear waters, as well as golden mountains and silver hills. China adheres to the concept of green development, explores pathways for green marine development, and promotes a shift in marine development practices toward a circular and resource-efficient model. We are vigorously developing green industries such as eco-tourism and eco-fisheries, continuously expanding channels for realizing the value of ecological products, and using high-level protection of the marine ecosystem to foster high-quality economic development and create a high-quality life in coastal regions. Grounded in the “dual carbon” strategic goals, taking pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction as key drivers, we will synergistically advance carbon sequestration and emission reduction in the marine sector, develop new green and low-carbon economic models such as marine ranching and offshore wind power, promote the green and low-carbon transformation of marine industries, and accelerate the move toward green, low-carbon, and sustainable marine development.

— Uphold government leadership and multi-stakeholder governance. Maintain the government’s leading role in marine ecological and environmental protection, playing a pivotal role in institutional design, scientific planning, regulatory services, and risk prevention. Establish a working mechanism for marine ecological and environmental protection characterized by central coordination, provincial overall responsibility, and implementation at the city and county levels. Mobilize business entities, trading elements, and social capital to participate in marine ecological and environmental protection, creating a sustainable model for marine environmental protection and ecological restoration. With concerted efforts from all sectors of society and multi-stakeholder governance, we will strive to build a modern marine ecological and environmental governance system featuring Party committee leadership, government guidance, enterprise as the main body, and active participation by social organizations and the general public.

— Uphold the principle of putting the people first and ensuring the participation of all citizens. China is committed to benefiting the people through ecological development, leveraging ecology for the people’s well-being, and placing the people at the heart of ecological conservation. We continuously meet the public’s growing expectations for a better ecological environment, effectively address prominent marine ecological issues, and steadily enhance the quality of our relationship with the sea. We strive to ensure that the people can enjoy green, safe, and reliable seafood, bask in clear blue skies and pristine beaches, and increasingly experience a sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security in their connection with the ocean. We remain committed to working for the people and relying on them, promoting a marine ecological culture that fosters harmonious coexistence between humans and the sea. Through this, we aim to build a new paradigm of marine ecological protection characterized by joint construction, joint governance, and shared benefits, fostering a widespread consensus and proactive commitment among all citizens to actively participate in safeguarding our marine environment.

— Uphold a global vision and pursue win-win cooperation. Guided by the concept of a community with a shared future for oceans, China adopts an open mind, an inclusive attitude, and a broad perspective, standing side by side with people from all countries through thick and thin, sharing both glory and hardship. Together, we tackle challenges to the marine ecological environment, firmly safeguard the common interests of humanity, and leave behind a pristine blue sea and sky for future generations. Adhering to the principles of mutual trust, mutual assistance, and mutual benefit, we promote international cooperation in marine ecological conservation, share the abundant fruits of protection and development, and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to building clean and beautiful oceans.

II. Promote coordinated advancement of marine ecological and environmental protection

China attaches great importance to the construction of marine ecological civilization and the protection of the marine ecological environment. It has strengthened top-level design, adhered to planning-led approaches, enhanced overall coordination, established and improved a comprehensive legal and institutional framework, continuously refined its systems and mechanisms, and promoted the smooth development of marine ecological conservation efforts.

(1) Planning-led

Based on the new situation, new tasks, and new requirements for marine ecological and environmental protection, China, guided by its national economic and social development plans and in alignment with land-space planning, has formulated special plans for marine ecological and environmental protection as well as related sector-specific plans, thereby providing guidance for all aspects of marine ecological and environmental protection efforts.

Systematically plan and advance marine ecological and environmental protection efforts. Planning documents related to marine ecological and environmental protection serve as the fundamental basis for guiding the implementation of such protection measures and promoting the construction of a marine ecological civilization. The National Economic and Social Development Plan lays out strategic arrangements for marine ecological and environmental protection. The National Land and Space Planning provides overall guidance on establishing a coordinated land-sea spatial pattern characterized by harmony between humans and the sea, offering spatial strategic direction for marine ecological and environmental protection within jurisdictional waters. In recent years, China has introduced the “14th Five-Year Plan for Marine Ecological and Environmental Protection,” exploring the establishment of a new tiered governance system encompassing “national, provincial, municipal, and bay-level” management. This initiative promotes the formation of a new comprehensive governance framework centered on bays as basic units and operational platforms, thereby leading marine ecological and environmental protection efforts in the new era. Additionally, China has released the “Special Plan for Scientific and Technological Innovation in the Field of Ecological Environment during the 14th Five-Year Plan,” the “14th Five-Year Plan for Ecological Conservation and Supervision,” the “14th Five-Year Plan for Ecological Environment Monitoring,” and the “National Plan for Marine Dumping Areas (2021–2025),” providing guidance on scientific and technological innovation in marine ecological and environmental protection, supervision and restoration of marine ecosystems, monitoring and evaluation of marine ecological environments, and management of marine dumping activities—thus offering solid support for comprehensively strengthening marine ecological and environmental protection.

An ocean development and conservation spatial layout that adheres to the principle of ecological priority. Ocean space serves as the fundamental framework for protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, coordinating marine development and utilization activities, and implementing various tasks related to marine governance. Marine spatial planning is an essential tool for systematically organizing and coordinating diverse marine space development and conservation activities. Over the years, a series of spatial plans—including the "National Marine Functional Zoning," the "National Marine Main Functional Zone Planning," and the "National Island Protection Plan"—have been successively issued, playing a positive role at different stages in the categorized protection and rational use of marine areas and islands. Following the 2018 overall deployment of "integrating multiple plans into one," the "Several Opinions on Establishing and Supervising the Implementation of a Territorial Spatial Planning System" were released, along with the "Outline of the National Territorial Spatial Planning (2021–2035)." The "Spatial Planning for Coastal Zones and Nearshore Waters (2021–2035)" was also formulated. Subsequently, territorial spatial plans at various levels have been implemented across coastal regions, thus establishing a coordinated land-and-sea marine spatial planning system. This system strengthens the synergy between land and sea spaces, continuously deepens comprehensive coastal zone management based on ecosystem approaches, and provides a holistic framework for the protection, restoration, and rational utilization of coastlines, marine areas, and islands.

Promote conservation and restoration in an orderly manner. Guided by the spatial planning of land and space, and with a view to comprehensively planning and designing the protection and restoration of critical ecosystems in nearshore and coastal areas, China has, for the first time, formulated and implemented the “Major Engineering Construction Plan for Coastal Zone Ecological Protection and Restoration (2021–2035).” Centered on enhancing the quality and stability of coastal ecosystems and strengthening their ecosystem services, this plan establishes an overall framework for major coastal zone ecological protection and restoration projects—“one belt, two corridors, six zones, and multiple points.” With the goal of improving the diversity, stability, and sustainability of marine ecosystems, China has also introduced the “14th Five-Year Plan for Marine Ecological Protection and Restoration,” the “Special Action Plan for Mangrove Conservation and Restoration (2020–2025),” and the “Special Action Plan for Controlling Spartina alterniflora (2022–2025).” These plans adopt a scientifically sound and rational approach, taking local conditions into account and implementing tailored strategies based on regional differences. They promote coordinated advancement of various tasks—including marine ecological protection and restoration, mangrove conservation and restoration, and Spartina alterniflora control—during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, thereby establishing a comprehensive marine ecological protection and restoration planning system and promoting integrated conservation and restoration efforts.

(2) Protection in accordance with the law

Relying on the rule of law is the fundamental principle guiding marine ecological and environmental protection. China has established a sound legal and regulatory framework for marine ecological and environmental protection, strengthened judicial enforcement, carried out public legal education, and fostered a positive social atmosphere in which everyone respects, learns, abides by, and applies the law, thereby ensuring that marine ecological and environmental protection operates within the framework of the rule of law.

Establish and improve the legal and regulatory framework for marine ecological conservation. China attaches great importance to the legislative work on marine ecological conservation and has successively introduced a series of relevant laws and regulations. In 1982, the Law on Marine Environmental Protection was promulgated and has since undergone two revisions and three amendments, continuously adapting to new circumstances and keeping pace with the times. It is a comprehensive law in the field of national marine environmental protection. Centered around the Law on Marine Environmental Protection, seven administrative regulations—including the Regulations on the Management of Marine Dumping—more than ten departmental rules, and over 100 normative documents have been formulated. Additionally, more than 200 technical standards and specifications have been issued, essentially establishing a complete legal and regulatory system for marine ecological conservation. Besides the specialized Law on Marine Environmental Protection, other important laws also contain relevant provisions. For example, the Law on the Administration of Sea Area Use and the Law on the Protection of Islands stipulate requirements for the sustainable use, protection, and improvement of marine areas and islands. The Law on Wetland Protection and the Fisheries Law lay down provisions for the protection of coastal wetlands and fishery resources. The Yangtze River Protection Law and the Yellow River Protection Law provide regulations on the planning, monitoring, and restoration of estuaries. Coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have enacted and implemented local regulations or government rules on marine ecological conservation. Guangxi, Hainan, and other regions have specifically legislated to protect coastal beaches and rare flora and fauna resources.

Strengthen judicial protection of the marine ecological environment. Courts have actively explored and implemented practices in judicial protection of the marine environment, having adjudicated over 5,000 civil disputes involving the marine environment since 1984. Since 2015, maritime courts have concluded more than 1,000 administrative litigation cases related to the marine environment, and have also begun exploring jurisdiction over criminal cases involving pollution of the marine environment, illegal sand mining at sea, and illegal harvesting of precious and endangered aquatic wildlife. Building on the lessons learned from these exploratory practices, China has gradually established a judicial system for marine environmental protection that integrates criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings—a “three-in-one” approach—and has developed a public interest litigation system for the marine environment with Chinese characteristics, thereby solidifying the judicial defense line for marine ecological conservation.

Carry out public legal education on marine ecological and environmental protection. Through various forms such as holding press conferences, organizing lectures and training sessions, conducting media publicity, hosting knowledge competitions, and distributing promotional materials, we will publicize and popularize laws and regulations related to maritime areas, islands, marine environmental protection, and the management of offshore fishing vessels. In some regions, innovative approaches—including VR (virtual reality) experiences, interactive games, and short films—have been adopted to enhance the dissemination of marine ecological and environmental protection laws and regulations, yielding remarkable results. We will intensify publicity efforts targeted at coastal areas, marine-related enterprises, and the general public, encouraging local governments to protect and utilize marine areas in a scientific and rational manner, urging marine enterprises to fulfill their responsibilities, and guiding the public to raise awareness of marine legal norms. This will enable more marine-related organizations and members of the public to understand, protect, and care for the ocean.

(3) Institutional Guarantees

Establish a series of marine ecological and environmental protection systems, basically achieve integrated coordination of management systems and mechanisms for both land and marine areas, gradually improve the management system for marine ecological and environmental protection, and continuously enhance the effectiveness of marine ecological and environmental governance.

Establishing the “four pillars and eight beams” of the protection system. China attaches great importance to using institutional mechanisms to protect the marine ecological environment and regulate activities related to the development and utilization of marine resources. Drawing on practical experience and in accordance with the law, China has established the “four pillars and eight beams” of a marine ecological protection system. In terms of pollution prevention and control, systems have been put in place for the registration of discharge outlets into the sea, environmental impact assessment approvals, permits for ocean dumping, and responses to emergency incidents. In terms of ecological conservation and restoration, systems have been established covering marine ecological protection redlines, nature reserves, and controls on natural shorelines. In terms of supervision and management, systems have been set up for land-use control of territorial space, ecological and environmental zoning management, central ecological and environmental inspections, national natural resource inspections, target responsibility systems and performance evaluation, as well as monitoring and surveys. In terms of green development, systems have been established for marine ecological compensation, fishing quotas and fishing licenses, and paid use of marine areas.

A management system featuring “interdepartmental collaboration and coordinated efforts between different levels” has been established. Over the years, China’s marine ecological and environmental protection management system has undergone a transformative journey—from having nothing at all to becoming robust and well-developed. In 2018, as part of the State Council’s institutional reform, responsibilities for marine environmental protection were integrated into the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, while responsibilities for marine conservation, restoration, and resource development and utilization were consolidated under the Ministry of Natural Resources. Departments including transportation, maritime affairs, fisheries, forestry and grassland administration, marine police, and the military now jointly participate in marine ecological and environmental protection work according to their respective functions, thereby bridging the gap between land and sea and enhancing the synergy in preventing and controlling pollution on both land and sea as well as the overall effectiveness of ecological and environmental protection efforts. Environmental supervision agencies have been set up in the Bohai Sea area of the Haihe River basin, the South China Sea area of the Pearl River basin, and the East China Sea area of the Taihu Lake basin, tasked with carrying out relevant oversight duties for the marine ecological environment. Coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) assume specific responsibilities for the governance of nearshore marine ecosystems, implementing key tasks, major projects, and important initiatives aimed at promoting marine ecological protection and governance. Over the years, China has developed a collaborative mechanism for marine ecological and environmental protection involving multiple departments and coordinated efforts between the central government and local authorities, and has preliminarily established an integrated comprehensive management system that synergizes coastal, river basin, and marine-area governance.

III. Systemic Governance of the Marine Ecological Environment

We will simultaneously focus on tackling key challenges and adopting a systematic approach, coordinating land and sea management and promoting synergy between rivers and oceans, to carry out marine ecological and environmental governance and continuously improve the quality of the marine ecosystem.

(1) Comprehensive Governance of Key Marine Areas

Key marine areas such as the Bohai Sea, the Yangtze River Estuary–Hangzhou Bay, and the Pearl River Estuary are located at the strategic intersection of China’s coastal high-quality development. These regions are economically developed and densely populated, with high intensity in marine resource exploitation and utilization. They exhibit distinct regional marine ecological characteristics and face relatively concentrated and prominent environmental challenges. As such, they represent critical focal areas for tackling marine ecological and environmental governance, making comprehensive integrated management essential.

Win the tough battle for the comprehensive governance of the Bohai Sea. The Bohai Sea is a semi-enclosed inland sea in China with poor seawater exchange capacity and insufficient self-purification ability. Starting in 2018, China launched its first major campaign to tackle pollution prevention and control in the marine sector, designating the comprehensive governance of the Bohai Sea as one of the landmark battles in the 13th Five-Year Plan for pollution prevention and control. Following an overall deployment strategy—“planning and laying out the groundwork in the first year, achieving overall momentum in the second year, and seeing initial results in the third year”—the campaign focused on the “1+12” cities around the Bohai Sea, closely monitoring five key targets: the proportion of coastal waters with excellent water quality, the elimination of inferior water quality in rivers flowing into the sea, the identification and remediation of sewage discharge outlets entering the sea, and the restoration and rehabilitation of coastal wetlands and shorelines. The campaign also coordinated efforts to advance key tasks related to “pollution control, ecological protection, and risk prevention.” After three years of intensive efforts, all core objectives for the comprehensive governance of the Bohai Sea have been successfully achieved with high quality, effectively halting the downward trend in the Bohai Sea’s ecological environment and driving continuous improvement in its ecological quality. In 2020, the proportion of coastal waters in the Bohai Sea with excellent water quality (categories I and II) reached 82.3%, a significant increase of 15.3 percentage points compared to 2017, before the campaign began. All 49 national-controlled cross-sections of rivers flowing into the Bohai Sea along its coastline have completely eliminated water quality below Class V. A total of 8,891 hectares of coastal wetlands and 132 kilometers of shoreline have been restored and rehabilitated.

A comprehensive battle for the integrated management of key marine areas has been fully launched. Starting in 2021, building on the achievements made in the tough battle for the comprehensive management of the Bohai Sea, China has expanded the scope of this battle to include the waters around the Yangtze River Estuary–Hangzhou Bay and the Pearl River Estuary. This initiative is designated as one of the landmark campaigns for deepening the fight against pollution during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Systematic arrangements have been made across eight coastal provinces (and municipalities) and 24 coastal cities in these three key marine regions. We are committed to precise, scientific, and law-based pollution control, and are deeply implementing integrated, systematic, and source-oriented management that coordinates land and sea efforts. Progress on all key tasks is going smoothly, and significant phased results have been achieved. Overall water quality in these key marine areas has improved markedly. In 2023, the proportion of waters in the Bohai Sea, the Yangtze River Estuary–Hangzhou Bay, and the Pearl River Estuary—areas covered by the comprehensive management battles—that met excellent or good water quality standards (categories I and II) reached 67.5%, an increase of 8.8 percentage points compared to 2020.

(2) Collaborative Governance of Land-Based Pollution

Marine environmental problems manifest themselves in the ocean, but their root causes lie on land. China has taken strong measures to promote coordinated management of land-based pollution, effectively controlling the key pathways through which pollutants are discharged into the ocean and thereby reducing the overall pressure that land-based pollution exerts on the marine environment.

Strengthen the prevention and control of pollution in rivers that flow into the sea. Rivers flowing into the sea represent the most significant pathway for land-based pollutants to enter the ocean. China has been actively improving the quality and efficiency of urban wastewater treatment, constructing and upgrading separate stormwater and sewage networks, and intensifying regulatory oversight of the wastewater treatment industry, thereby reducing the impact of urban domestic and industrial wastewater on the water quality of rivers flowing into the sea. Since 2012, the construction of wastewater treatment infrastructure in coastal areas has significantly accelerated, and wastewater treatment plants in cities at or above the prefectural level have largely completed upgrades to meet the enhanced Class I A standards. In addition, efforts have been made to improve rural environmental conditions: since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan, coastal provinces have newly completed comprehensive environmental improvements in 17,000 administrative villages, and prepared pollution-control plans for livestock and poultry breeding in 170 major livestock counties. The rate of rural domestic wastewater treatment has exceeded 45%, substantially reducing wastewater discharge from agricultural and rural areas. We are making concerted efforts to address the issue of excessive nitrogen emissions in river basins, which contribute to water pollution and eutrophication in nearshore waters. To this end, we have established a coordinated, integrated management system covering coastal areas, river basins, and marine regions, and are exploring extending the scope of total nitrogen control upstream along rivers flowing into the sea. We are also promoting the implementation of “one river, one strategy” approaches for total nitrogen management in these rivers. From 2012 to 2017, the water quality at nationally monitored cross-sections of rivers flowing into the sea remained generally stable and showed some improvement; after 2018, water quality improved significantly overall. Currently, about four-fifths of the nationally monitored cross-sections of rivers flowing into the sea have excellent or good water quality (Classes I–III), and cross-sections that have lost their intended use (inferior to Class V) have been virtually eliminated.

Safeguard the critical gateways through which coastal pollution enters the sea. Discharge outlets into the sea serve as key nodes for the discharge of land-based pollutants from coastal areas into the ocean. The "Implementation Opinions on Strengthening the Supervision and Management of River and Sea Discharge Outlets" have been issued to comprehensively promote the identification, monitoring, source tracing, and remediation of sea discharge outlets, and to establish and improve a holistic governance system covering nearshore waters, sea discharge outlets, sewage pipelines, and pollution sources. In accordance with the principle of "inspecting every outlet and conducting thorough inspections where required," we are systematically identifying the number, distribution, discharge characteristics, and responsible entities of various sea discharge outlets, and advancing source-tracing and remediation efforts along with the assignment of accountability. As of the end of 2023, China has identified over 53,000 sea discharge outlets and completed the remediation of more than 16,000 of them, playing a significant role in improving the environmental quality of nearshore waters. A unified information platform for sea discharge outlets is being established to further standardize their setup and management. It is strictly prohibited to establish new industrial discharge outlets or municipal wastewater treatment plant discharge outlets in nature reserves, important fishery waters, seawater bathing areas, ecological protection redlines, and other such sensitive zones.

Clean up and rectify marine litter. The "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Governance of Plastic Pollution" and the "Action Plan for Plastic Pollution Governance during the 14th Five-Year Plan" have been issued to effectively control waste entering the sea at its source. We are further establishing and implementing a comprehensive system for monitoring, intercepting, collecting, salvaging, transporting, and treating marine debris. Coastal cities are routinely carrying out measures such as "Marine Sanitation" to prevent and clean up litter entering the sea from key river estuaries and nearshore waters. Zhejiang Province’s new model for marine plastic waste governance—known as the “Blue Loop”—has been awarded the United Nations’ “Champions of the Earth Award.” We are promoting joint prevention and control of litter in rivers, lakes, and seas. In 2022, special cleanup operations were conducted in 11 key bays, including Jiaozhou Bay, mobilizing 188,100 person-times and removing approximately 55,300 tons of various types of shoreline and floating marine debris. Building on the achievements of these targeted cleanup efforts, in 2024 we will upgrade the special cleanup initiatives in key bays into comprehensive coastal city-wide marine litter cleanup campaigns. We continue to organize and carry out monitoring and surveys of marine litter and microplastics. Compared with recent international survey results, the average density of marine litter and nearshore microplastics in China’s coastal waters remains at a medium-to-low level.

(3) Precise Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution

We will adhere to the principle of equally emphasizing both development and protection, continuously strengthen routine supervision over industries such as marine engineering, marine dumping, mariculture, and maritime transportation, proactively respond to sudden environmental pollution incidents, comprehensively enhance the level of marine pollution prevention and control, and strive to minimize the impact of various marine development and utilization activities on the marine ecological environment.

Strictly control the ecological and environmental impacts of marine engineering projects and marine dumping activities. Continuously optimize the management of environmental impact assessments, taking a proactive approach at the source to rigorously regulate marine engineering construction projects such as land reclamation and offshore sand mining. Strengthen pollution prevention and control in offshore oil and gas exploration and development, with the state exercising unified authority over both environmental impact assessment approvals and pollutant discharge supervision. Initiate the preparation of technical specifications for discharge permits for marine engineering projects, thereby promoting the legal integration of marine engineering into the discharge permit management system. Select and designate dumping areas based on the principles of scientific rigor, rationality, cost-effectiveness, and safety; conduct scientific and meticulous evaluations of the operational status of dumping areas to ensure both the ecological health of these areas and the safety of navigational water depths. Strictly enforce the dumping permit system, comprehensively employing means such as the Automatic Identification System for vessels and online monitoring of marine dumping to carry out off-site supervision, thereby minimizing the ecological impacts of waste disposal.

Systematically address pollution prevention and control in mariculture. The “Several Opinions on Accelerating the Promotion of Green Development in Aquaculture” and the “Opinions on Strengthening Ecological and Environmental Supervision of Mariculture” have been issued and implemented. Emission standards have been formulated, environmental impact assessment management has been reinforced, and efforts have been made to promote classified remediation of discharge outlets and monitoring of tailwater, thereby systematically strengthening environmental oversight of mariculture. Coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have actively introduced discharge standards for aquaculture effluents and stepped up supervision over pollutant emissions. Mariculture has been incorporated into the national “Catalogue for Categorized Management of Environmental Impact Assessments for Construction Projects,” subject to mandatory EIA requirements. Following the principle of “banning a batch, merging a batch, and standardizing a batch,” localities have carried out clean-up and remediation efforts targeting illegal and improperly located aquaculture effluent discharge outlets. They are also promoting environmentally friendly upgrades and renovations of pond-based, factory-based, and net-cage aquaculture systems to improve the quality of the aquaculture environment. Coastal provinces, cities, and counties have already released plans for aquaculture waters and tidal flats, scientifically delineating no-fishing zones, restricted-fishing zones, and aquaculture zones. Efforts to prevent and control pollution from ships and ports have been intensified. The “Standards for the Control of Discharge of Water Pollutants from Ships” are strictly enforced, and special campaigns have been launched to tackle ship-based water pollution. Environmental protection standards have been integrated into technical regulations for ships. The joint regulatory system for the transfer and disposal of ship-generated water pollutants is being further promoted and implemented; coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have largely completed the construction of facilities for receiving, transferring, and disposing of ship-generated pollutants at ports. Continuous inspections and monitoring of ship fuel quality are being conducted, and the installation and use of shore power facilities for berthed vessels are being closely monitored. Potential pollution risks are being identified and eliminated.

Establish an emergency response system for sudden marine environmental incidents. The "National Emergency Response Plan for Major Marine Oil Spills" and the "Emergency Response Plan for Environmental Incidents Caused by Oil Spills from Offshore Oil Exploration and Development" have been issued and implemented, clearly defining the emergency organizational structure, response procedures, information management and dissemination mechanisms, as well as supporting measures, thereby establishing a relatively comprehensive emergency response system for marine oil spill pollution. Strengthened efforts have been made to identify and address marine environmental risks; the three provinces and one municipality surrounding the Bohai Sea have been organized to complete risk assessments and file environmental emergency plans for more than 5,400 key enterprises involved in hazardous chemicals, heavy metals, industrial waste, and nuclear power generation. A nationwide emergency command system for marine ecological environment has been developed, creating an intelligent platform integrating communication, monitoring, decision-making, command, and dispatch functions to enhance the information-based capabilities for responding to sudden environmental incidents. An “oil fingerprint” identification system has been developed, with over 3,200 crude oil samples collected to date, essentially achieving full coverage of oil sample collection from offshore oil exploration and development platforms. This system provides crucial evidence for resolving liability disputes arising from marine oil spills and conducting damage assessments of oil spill pollution.

(4) Devote full efforts to building beautiful bays.

The bay is a key area for continuously improving the marine ecological environment. Taking the bay as the fundamental unit and aiming to create beautiful bays characterized by "clear water, clean beaches, abundant fish and seabirds, and harmonious coexistence between humans and the sea," we will adopt a "one-bay, one-policy" approach to collaboratively advance pollution prevention and control in nearshore waters, ecological conservation and restoration, and shoreline and beach environmental improvement, thereby systematically enhancing the quality of the bay’s ecological environment.

Comprehensively deploy the construction of Beautiful Bays. The 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China and the Visionary Goals for 2035 explicitly call for advancing the protection and construction of Beautiful Bays. The “Opinions on Fully Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China” integrates the concept of Beautiful Bays into the overall framework of building a Beautiful China, setting forth clear targets: by 2027, the completion rate of Beautiful Bay construction should reach around 40%, and by 2035, most Beautiful Bays should be basically completed. The “14th Five-Year Plan for Marine Ecological Environmental Protection” focuses squarely on the main task of constructing Beautiful Bays, dividing coastal waters into 283 bay construction units and specifying concrete tasks, measures, and targets for each bay. The “Action Plan for Enhancing the Construction of Beautiful Bays” further clarifies that by 2027, the construction of more than 110 key Beautiful Bays will be actively promoted. Currently, the work of constructing Beautiful Bays is steadily advancing. As of the end of 2023, nearly half of the 1,682 key tasks and engineering measures have been completed. A total of 475 kilometers of shoreline has been treated and restored, and 16,700 hectares of coastal wetlands have been rehabilitated. The proportion of bays with excellent water quality has exceeded 85% in 167 bays, and the proportion of bays with excellent water quality has improved compared to 2022 in 102 bays.

Adopt a multi-pronged approach to build beautiful bays. Develop basic standards for the construction of beautiful bays, guided by the goals of high-quality bay environments, healthy marine ecosystems, and harmonious coexistence between humans and the sea. Set up five categories of indicators to guide localities in carrying out beautiful bay construction, and encourage the addition of region-specific, distinctive indicators tailored to local conditions. Establish a management platform for beautiful bay construction, leveraging on-site surveys and remote sensing monitoring to track and evaluate progress, promote smart supervision of beautiful bay construction efforts, and urge governments at all levels to implement comprehensive bay management measures suited to local conditions and ensure the effective fulfillment of construction tasks. Create diversified investment and financing mechanisms, strengthen government guidance, and encourage business entities and social capital to participate in the construction of beautiful bays. Comprehensively employ fiscal investments, special-purpose bonds, and eco-environmentally oriented development (EOD) projects—among other financial and fiscal tools—to accelerate the implementation of beautiful bay construction projects. Enhance demonstration and leading roles in beautiful bay construction, encourage innovation in institutional mechanisms and key technologies for beautiful bay development, select outstanding case studies, disseminate exemplary models and practices, and lead the overall improvement of beautiful bay construction standards. To date, two batches of 20 nationally recognized exemplary cases of beautiful bays have been selected.

By deepening the comprehensive management of key marine areas and promoting coordinated prevention and control of land- and sea-based pollution, and by continuously building beautiful bays, China has achieved overall improvement in the water quality of its nearshore waters. In 2023, the proportion of waters with excellent and good quality was 21.3 percentage points higher than in 2012.

IV. Scientifically Conduct Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration

China adheres to the principles of respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature. It promotes coordinated and integrated protection and systematic restoration of marine ecosystems, makes science-based decisions and implements targeted measures, firmly safeguards ecological security boundaries, and continuously enhances the diversity, stability, and sustainability of marine ecosystems.

(1) Strengthen the marine ecological barrier.

China was the first in the world to propose and implement the ecological protection redline system. Through a variety of measures, it has effectively strengthened the marine ecological protection barrier, ensuring that oceans have sufficient time and space to recover and rejuvenate.

Establish an ecological classification and zoning system for marine ecosystems. Ecological classification and zoning of marine ecosystems represents the foundational framework for modern marine management. Since 2019, efforts have been underway to develop such a system, constructing a marine ecological classification framework characterized by “two main pillars and four supporting columns.” This framework conducts marine ecological classification based on two scenarios—biogeographical and aquatic—as well as four key components: water bodies, topography and geomorphology, seabed substrate, and biological communities. A hierarchical, top-down approach is adopted to carry out marine ecological zoning at different scales, dividing China’s nearshore waters into three primary-level ecological zones, 22 secondary-level ecological zones, and 53 tertiary-level ecological zones. In 2023, focusing on the coastal areas most heavily impacted by human activities, the 20 tertiary-level ecological zones in these nearshore regions were further subdivided into 132 quaternary-level ecological zones. By establishing a unified ecological classification standard and delineating ecological zones at various scales, this framework scientifically reflects China’s natural geographic patterns of marine ecosystems, providing a solid foundation for comprehensively understanding the baseline state of marine ecosystems and enabling more precise ecological assessments, conservation, and restoration efforts.

Conduct assessments of the carrying capacity of marine resources and the environment, as well as the suitability of land space. In 2015, the "Overall Plan for Reform of the Ecological Civilization System" first introduced requirements for assessing resource and environmental carrying capacity, initiating evaluations of the scale that natural resources and the ecological environment can sustainably support. In 2019, the "Several Opinions on Establishing a Territorial Spatial Planning System and Supervising Its Implementation" proposed scientifically and orderly coordinating the spatial layout of various functional areas based on assessments of resource and environmental carrying capacity and the suitability of land space development. As a result, China began to develop a systematic methodology for evaluating resource and environmental carrying capacity and land space development suitability. To date, China has organized and completed assessments of marine resource and environmental carrying capacity and land space development suitability at national, regional, provincial, and municipal levels, using these assessments as the scientific basis for delineating marine ecological protection redlines, marine ecological spaces, and marine development and utilization spaces.

Establish and strictly adhere to the ecological protection redlines for marine areas. The ecological protection redlines represent a significant institutional innovation and major policy decision in China’s ecological civilization development. China has systematically designated key areas for marine ecological protection, prioritizing the inclusion of regions with critically important ecological functions—such as biodiversity conservation and coastal protection—as well as ecologically highly vulnerable areas prone to coastal erosion—within the marine ecological protection redlines for stringent protection, arranged in a “one belt, multiple points” pattern. At the same time, a series of documents have been issued to regulate the limited human activities permitted within these redlines and clearly define control requirements. Continuous monitoring and effectiveness assessments of the ecological protection redlines are being carried out, along with boundary demarcation and marking efforts. The spatial layout of the redlines is being rationally optimized, and a long-term management mechanism for the ecological protection redlines is being refined and improved, ensuring that a single redline effectively governs critical ecological spaces and firmly safeguards the nation’s ecological security bottom line.

Improve the marine protected area system. China has designated key areas for protection within its marine protected areas, including critical marine ecosystems, natural concentration zones of rare and endangered marine species, and regions where marine natural relics and scenic landscapes are densely distributed. After years of development, China has established 352 marine-related nature reserves, protecting approximately 93,300 square kilometers of marine areas. Additionally, five candidate sites for national marine parks are currently under preparation. The protected objects encompass rare and endangered marine species such as the spotted seal and the Chinese white dolphin, as well as typical ecosystems like mangrove forests and coral reefs, and geological features such as ancient shell ridges and underwater fossilized forest remains. This has initially created a marine protected area system that is comprehensive in type, reasonably laid out, and fully functional. Through the construction of these marine protected areas, populations of rare marine species are gradually recovering; for instance, the number of spotted seals—national-level protected animals—wintering annually in Liaodong Bay has stabilized at over 2,000 individuals.

Conserving marine biodiversity. Through measures such as protecting ecological corridors, upgrading species conservation status, conducting scientific research and monitoring, implementing seasonal fishing closures in key marine areas, and carrying out stock enhancement and release programs, we are actively and effectively safeguarding marine life. Currently, China has documented more than 28,000 marine species, accounting for approximately 11% of the world’s total recorded marine species. The National Marine Fisheries Genetic Resources Bank has collected and preserved about 140,000 samples of various biological resources, and the collection and preservation of biological genetic resources continue to accelerate. In nearshore waters, annual releases of various aquatic organism larvae amount to roughly 30 billion individuals. Specialized national conservation action plans or outlines have been issued for key protected species—including the Chinese white dolphin, sea turtles, corals, and spotted seals—and a national-level species conservation alliance has been established, enabling highly effective conservation efforts that have led to stable and improving population trends. Twenty coastal wetlands, including the Dalian Spotted Seal National Nature Reserve in Liaoning and the Huidong Port Sea Turtle National Nature Reserve in Guangdong, have been listed on the International Important Wetlands List.

(2) Implement marine ecological restoration

Adhering to the principle of prioritizing natural restoration while supplementing it with artificial restoration, we will systematically carry out major marine ecological restoration projects. We will initially establish a marine ecological restoration framework—spanning from mountain tops to the ocean—that is guided by comprehensive planning, underpinned by sound institutional mechanisms, supported by adequate funding, and bolstered by solid foundational infrastructure, thereby firmly laying the ecological foundation for a beautiful China.

Adhere to a problem-oriented, comprehensive approach. Treat marine ecosystems as a holistic entity, accurately diagnose marine ecological issues, and rationally set conservation and restoration goals and tasks. Adopt targeted approaches—including conservation and protection, natural recovery, assisted regeneration, and ecological reconstruction—selecting the most suitable restoration technologies and tailoring measures to local conditions and specific time periods, while implementing strategies that are differentiated by region and type. For example, in terms of conservation and restoration planning: focus on warm-temperate estuarine wetlands in the Bohai Sea; warm-temperate coastal wetlands in the Yellow Sea; subtropical estuaries, bays, and islands in the East China Sea; and typical subtropical and tropical coastal wetlands in the South China Sea.

Technology underpins standards first. We will strengthen research into the patterns and underlying mechanisms of marine ecosystem succession, carry out targeted technological breakthroughs, develop standardized guidelines, and enhance the comprehensiveness, scientific rigor, and operational feasibility of ecological restoration efforts. We have selected the first batch of 10 innovative and applicable technologies for marine ecological restoration. We have also released the “Guidelines for Marine Ecological Restoration Technology” and a series of 11 technical guidelines for ecological disaster reduction and restoration in coastal zones. In addition, we have developed technical manuals for the restoration of various typical marine ecosystems, including mangrove forests, coastal salt marshes, and oyster reefs, thereby establishing a systematic framework of restoration technology standards.

Strengthen financial support for restoration efforts. Since 2016, the central government has established special funds to support coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in carrying out marine ecological protection and restoration projects, with a primary focus on key areas—including marine zones, islands, and coastal zones—that play a crucial role in safeguarding ecological security and provide broad ecological benefits. The "Opinions on Encouraging and Supporting Social Capital to Participate in Ecological Protection and Restoration" have been issued, encouraging and supporting social capital to engage in all stages of marine ecological protection and restoration projects—from investment and design through to restoration and management—and promoting the establishment of market-oriented investment and financing mechanisms for social capital participation in marine ecological protection and restoration. A policy has also been introduced offering incentives in the form of additional construction land indicators to those who successfully carry out mangrove afforestation projects.

Implement major marine ecological conservation and restoration projects. From 2016 to 2023, the central government provided financial support to coastal cities for the implementation of 175 major marine ecological conservation and restoration projects, including the “Blue Bay” remediation initiative, the tough battle for comprehensive governance of the Bohai Sea, coastal zone protection and restoration projects, and mangrove conservation and restoration efforts. These projects cover 11 coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), with cumulative central financial investment totaling 25.258 billion yuan. They have spurred nationwide efforts to rehabilitate and restore nearly 1,680 kilometers of coastline and over 750,000 mu of coastal wetlands. The "Special Action Plan for Mangrove Conservation and Restoration (2020–2025)" was issued, and by the end of 2023, China had created approximately 7,000 hectares of new mangroves and restored about 5,600 hectares of existing mangroves. According to the 2022 National Land Use Change Survey, the country’s mangrove area has expanded to 29,200 hectares, an increase of roughly 7,200 hectares since the beginning of this century. China is one of only a few countries in the world experiencing net growth in mangrove area. Through these concerted efforts, China is continuously enhancing the service functions of marine ecosystems, boosting its capacity for carbon sequestration, and strengthening the ecological safety barrier along coastlines. By promoting high-level marine ecological conservation and restoration, China is contributing to high-quality development.

(3) Strictly guard the defense line against marine disasters.

Marine disasters pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems. By enhancing the resilience of coastal ecosystem, strengthening the identification of marine ecological disaster risks and improving emergency response capabilities, we can continuously enhance our capacity to prevent and control marine disasters and effectively safeguard the bottom line of marine ecological security.

Strengthen the resilience of coastal ecosystemsto withstand marine hazards such as typhoons and storm surges. China is one of the countries in the world most severely affected by marine disasters. To prevent catastrophic marine disasters, we will establish a globally integrated, three-dimensional ocean observation network that is reasonably laid out, functionally complete, and systemically sound. We will essentially achieve long-term, operational observations of China’s jurisdictional waters and key areas of concern, and continuously enhance the autonomy, globalization, intelligence, and precision of marine disaster early warning and forecasting systems, thereby providing robust technological support for marine disaster prevention and response. Mangrove forests, coastal salt marshes, and other ecosystems serve as natural barriers against marine hazards. By constructing ecological seawalls and establishing an integrated protection system that synergistically enhances both ecological conservation and disaster reduction efforts, we can fully harness the disaster-prevention and -mitigation functions of these ecosystems and comprehensively strengthen the resilience of coastal ecosystems to marine hazards such as typhoons and storm surges.

Enhance the capacity for preventing and controlling marine ecological disasters. Marine ecological disasters severely impact the economic and social development of coastal regions. In China, marine ecological disasters are primarily characterized by localized biological blooms such as red tides and green tides caused by Ulva prolifera. Develop emergency response plans for red tide disasters, strengthen early warning and monitoring systems for red tides, promptly detect red tide events, track them throughout their entire lifecycle, and issue accurate warnings. Gain a thorough understanding of the trends and evolution of red tides to provide support for red tide prevention, control, and emergency response. Conduct monitoring, early warning, and control efforts for green tide disasters caused by Ulva prolifera in the Yellow Sea, thereby reducing the impact of these disasters. For localized biological blooms involving jellyfish, shrimp, and other species, implement focused surveillance and monitoring in key areas and during critical periods, and promptly release relevant information.

(4) Launch a demonstration initiative for the creation of harmonious and beautiful islands.

Islands serve as crucial platforms for protecting the marine environment and maintaining ecological balance. The demonstration initiative for creating “harmonious and beautiful” islands takes individual islands or island groups as the main entities, aiming to build a new, harmonious “harmonious and beautiful” model of islands characterized by lush greenery, clean beaches, clear waters, and abundant resources—thus powerfully promoting high-level conservation and high-quality development in island regions.

The creation of model “harmonious islands” has yielded remarkable achievements. In 2022, the pilot program for building harmonious islands was officially launched. Guided by the core concept of “ecological beauty, beautiful living, and beautiful production,” the program sets forth 36 indicators across seven key areas: ecological protection and restoration, efficient and intensive use of resources, improvement of human settlements, green and low-carbon development, development of distinctive local economies, cultural development, and institutional development—providing a comprehensive framework to guide island regions in their efforts to establish these model islands. In 2023, the first batch of 33 islands were selected as “harmonious islands.”

Ecological leadership drives the creation of model initiatives. We adhere to an eco-first approach, restoring and rehabilitating the ecological environment of islands. We implement ecological protection and restoration projects targeting shorelines, island bodies, and aquatic vegetation, and encourage the development of blue-carbon ecosystems such as mangrove forests and seagrass beds to enhance carbon sequestration and increase carbon sinks. For example, Changdao Island in Shandong is being developed into an international zero-carbon island, actively exploring ways to convert marine carbon sink resources into assets and issuing financial products such as “Marine Carbon Sink Loans” and “Seagrass Bed and Algae Field Carbon Sink Loans.” We continue to promote improvements in the living environments on islands, strengthen infrastructure construction, enhance external transportation links, and improve facilities for water supply and drainage, power supply, and telecommunications. For instance, Dong’ao Island in Guangdong has implemented large-scale flower and shrub planting, creating greenways that run throughout the island with beautiful landscapes, thus developing coastal mountain-and-sea boardwalks on offshore islands. We are advancing new developments in the integration of culture and tourism by leveraging the unique resources of islands, seas, history, and temples, deepening the “Tourism+” model, and focusing on promoting “Tourism+Fisheries,” “Tourism+Rural Areas,” and “Tourism+Culture.” We are innovating cultural, sports, and tourism industry models, tapping into marine stories, and preserving traditional cultures. For example, Meizhou Island in Fujian has established 33 intangible cultural heritage projects and employs diverse methods to disseminate Mazu culture, thereby effectively promoting, protecting, and passing down these intangible cultural heritages.

(5) Build an ecological coastal zone.

The coastal zone is a unique region where land and ocean are highly interconnected, mutually integrated, and closely linked—sharing both common interests and shared challenges. It boasts abundant natural resources, distinctive environmental conditions, and frequent human activities. As the interface between coastal regions and the ocean, China’s coastal zone plays a crucial role in strengthening the nation’s ecological security barrier, supporting the economic and social development of coastal areas, facilitating the integration of land, sea, and international connectivity, promoting high-level development and opening-up, and driving high-quality growth. In 2021, China proposed the construction of an ecological coastal zone, emphasizing the coordinated management of land and sea resources. Taking the comprehensive assessment of marine ecological conditions as a key driver, China has established a systematic framework for evaluating ecological coastal zones, setting up nine evaluation indicators across four major areas: the stability of ecosystem conditions, the quality of environmental conditions, the sustainability of resource utilization, and the safety and health of human populations. This approach enables the scientific identification of ecological issues in the coastal zone. Through measures such as ecological conservation and restoration, the establishment of greenways along the coast, and the upgrading of ecological seawalls, China aims to create a coastal zone that is healthy, clean, safe, diverse, and abundant.

V. Strengthen the supervision and management of the marine ecological environment.

Coordinate resources across various sectors, pool strengths from all quarters, and firmly uphold the red lines for ecological protection, the bottom line for environmental quality, and the upper limit for resource utilization. Deliver a “combined punch” of zoned management, monitoring and investigation, regulatory enforcement, and performance assessment and supervision. Enhance the informationization, digitalization, and intelligentization of marine ecological environment supervision and management, thereby ensuring the smooth advancement of marine ecological environment governance and marine ecological conservation and restoration efforts.

(1) Implement spatial use control and environmental zoning management.

Fully implement the strategy of functional zones, enforce land-use control based on national spatial planning, and strengthen ecological and environmental zoning management in nearshore waters, thereby setting clear “bottom lines” and defining “boundaries” for development.

Implement marine spatial use management. In the 1990s, China issued and implemented the National Marine Functional Zoning Plan based on the location and resource-environmental conditions of marine areas, clearly defining the dominant functions of each functional zone and the requirements for marine environmental protection. In 2015, the "National Marine Main Functional Zone Planning" was released, dividing marine spaces into four categories: optimized development zones, key development zones, restricted development zones, and prohibited development zones, thereby establishing fundamental constraints on the development and protection orientations of various marine areas. Starting in 2019, the Marine Functional Zoning Plan and the National Marine Main Functional Zone Planning were integrated into the National Territorial Spatial Planning, achieving “integrated planning.” In October 2022, the "National Territorial Spatial Planning Outline (2021–2035)" was issued and implemented. Coastal provinces, in the implementation and management of their territorial spatial plans, have been putting the requirements of the Outline into practice by making detailed arrangements for marine territorial spaces, scientifically delineating ecological conservation zones, ecological control zones, and marine development zones. They have clearly defined the functional uses, sea-use methods, and ecological protection and restoration requirements for each functional zone, gradually establishing a marine spatial use management system that achieves “full coverage of sea areas, islands, and coastlines” and integrates “marine industry sectors with specific sea-use methods.”

Implement zoned management and control of the ecological environment in nearshore waters. This approach is aligned with national economic and social development plans as well as land-space planning, aiming to safeguard the ecological functions of nearshore waters and improve environmental quality. The focus is on enforcing strict constraints—such as setting ecological protection redlines, environmental quality bottom lines, and resource utilization ceilings—based on nearshore environmental control units and using ecological and environmental access lists as tools, thereby promoting differentiated and precise management and control of the nearshore ecological environment by region. Since 2017, coastal regions have gradually explored and practiced zoned management and control of the nearshore ecological environment, delineating 3,036 nearshore environmental control units and fostering the integration of industrial development with environmental carrying capacity. Xiamen City has pioneered, nationwide, an application system for ecological and environmental zoned management and control, effectively addressing difficulties such as challenges in site selection for enterprises, prolonged approval timelines, and slow project implementation. By dividing the area into 42 nearshore environmental control units, Xiamen has enhanced integrated land-and-sea governance and accelerated the transformation and upgrading of coastal industries. In 2024, the "Opinions on Strengthening Zoned Management and Control of the Ecological Environment" were issued, calling for further intensification of zoned management and control of the nearshore ecological environment. The document proposes establishing a comprehensive, precise, and scientifically grounded marine ecological and environmental zoning management system, systematically deploying work related to ecological and environmental zoning, and providing crucial guidance for scientifically directing various development, protection, and construction activities in nearshore waters.

(2) Conduct monitoring and surveys

Marine ecological environment monitoring and surveying is the foundation of marine ecological conservation. China is gradually establishing a comprehensive ecological environment monitoring network that integrates sky, land, and sea, strengthening the monitoring, assessment, and early-warning systems for marine ecological quality, and gaining a clear understanding of the underlying conditions to provide a solid basis for decision-making in the supervision and management of the marine ecological environment.

Carry out comprehensive monitoring of the marine ecological environment. Continuously optimize and improve the layout of the marine ecological environment monitoring network, with a focus on nearshore waters and coverage of all jurisdictional waters, thereby establishing a modern marine ecological environment monitoring system that integrates land and sea management and promotes coordinated river-sea interactions. Integrate national and local resources to build a national marine ecological environment monitoring base and establish a national integrated ecological quality monitoring station. Based on the existing 1,359 nationally-controlled seawater quality monitoring sites, the system covers four major categories—marine environmental quality monitoring, marine ecological monitoring, specialized monitoring, and marine supervisory monitoring—comprising a total of 15 monitoring tasks. We will continuously enhance our monitoring capabilities in emerging and high-priority areas such as marine debris, microplastics in the ocean, ocean radioactivity, new marine pollutants, and ocean carbon sinks and sources. We will also strengthen monitoring of the health status of typical ecosystems, including mangrove forests. Gradually establish a unified platform for transmitting and sharing marine ecological environment monitoring data, regularly release seawater quality monitoring data to the public, and issue the "China Marine Ecological Environment Status Bulletin."

Promote the coordinated advancement of marine ecological early-warning and monitoring. With the goal of achieving a clear understanding of the distribution patterns of marine ecosystems, a clear grasp of the current status and evolution trends of typical ecosystems, and a thorough comprehension of major ecological issues and risks, we will establish an operational ecological early-warning and monitoring system that focuses on nearshore waters, covers all waters under China’s jurisdiction, and extends to key areas in the polar regions and deep seas. In nearshore waters, we will prioritize surveys and monitoring in areas with typical ecosystems such as important estuaries, bays, coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and salt marshes, as well as high-risk zones for ecological disasters. In waters under China’s jurisdiction, we will analyze and assess ecological issues including sea-level changes, ocean acidification, and hypoxia, and carry out comprehensive, large-scale monitoring of all major marine ecosystem types. We will also expand ecological monitoring efforts into polar and deep-sea regions. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we will set up more than 1,600 monitoring stations for trend analysis of nearshore ecosystems, complete nationwide surveys of the current status of coral reefs, coastal salt marshes, and seagrass beds, and conduct comprehensive inventories of estuarine and seaweed ecosystem areas. We will compile and release the “China Marine Ecological Early-Warning and Monitoring Bulletin.” We will explore and establish early-warning methodologies for typical marine ecosystems, and have essentially achieved operational implementation of early-warning systems for coral reef bleaching.

Conducting baseline surveys on marine pollution. To systematically grasp the basic conditions of the marine ecological environment, China has conducted three baseline surveys on marine pollution—in 1976, 1996, and 2023—each providing a comprehensive understanding of the state of the marine ecological environment at different time periods. The third baseline survey on marine pollution covers four key areas: investigation of marine environmental pollutants, survey of pollution sources entering the sea, assessment of environmental pressures and ecological impacts along the coastal zone, and detailed surveys of bays. This survey has generated fundamental data on the marine ecological environment, providing crucial decision-making support for scientifically assessing China’s marine ecological conditions and formulating and implementing strategic policies for marine ecological conservation in China.

(3) Strict regulatory enforcement

We will uphold coordinated regulatory enforcement, inter-departmental collaboration, and central-local coordination to establish a three-dimensional, fully-covered marine regulatory and enforcement network, and strictly investigate and punish illegal and non-compliant uses of sea and islands as well as activities that damage the marine ecological environment.

Comprehensive marine supervision continues to be optimized. We are steadily enhancing our capacity for integrated supervision of marine areas, islands, and coastal zones, and accelerating the establishment of a full-chain, all-sector regulatory system covering pre-event, in-event, and post-event stages. This integrated supervision plays a crucial role in maintaining order in marine and island use, firmly safeguarding resource security, promoting ecologically sound marine and island utilization, and supporting high-quality development. Currently, China has built and operates various systems, including the Marine and Island Supervision System, the Marine Ecological Restoration Supervision System, and the “One-Map” Information System for Territorial Space Planning. These systems adopt a complementary approach that integrates satellite remote sensing, maritime monitoring, and shore-based surveillance, enabling us to track changes in marine use, spatial resources on seas and islands, and the state of the marine ecological environment. By comprehensively employing remote sensing monitoring, maritime patrols, and shoreline inspections, we carry out high-frequency supervision of marine areas, islands, and coastlines. Particular attention is paid to marine activities such as land reclamation, ecological restoration projects, drilling platforms, submarine optical cables, and cross-sea bridges, as well as key areas including regions rich in marine sand resources, offshore oil and gas exploration and development zones, marine dumping sites, and aquaculture and fisheries zones. This proactive approach helps nip illegal activities in the marine ecological environment in the bud and continuously improves the effectiveness of marine supervision and law enforcement efforts.

Comprehensive law enforcement for marine environmental protection continues to be strengthened. In recent years, comprehensive law enforcement has been carried out within China’s jurisdictional waters, with regular enforcement inspections conducted on marine engineering projects, marine nature reserves, fisheries, and maritime transportation. The “Sea Shield” special enforcement initiative has been implemented to reinforce coastal protection and control land reclamation activities. The “Green Shield” initiative has been launched to intensify supervision of marine nature reserves. The “Clear Sea” special enforcement campaign has been conducted to severely crack down on illegal and non-compliant activities that damage the marine ecological environment. Special enforcement operations such as “Blue Sword” and “China Fishery Administration: Sharp Sword” have been launched to strengthen the protection of fishery resources, thereby delivering a strong deterrent effect against illegal and non-compliant behaviors related to the marine ecological environment. From 2020 to 2022, more than 19,000 inspections were conducted on marine engineering projects, oil platforms, islands, dumping sites, and other relevant areas. Over 360 cases involving illegal land reclamation, illegal waste disposal, and destruction of islands were investigated and dealt with, demonstrating a firm crackdown on criminal and illegal activities in key areas of marine ecological protection.

(4) Strengthen assessment and supervision.

Implementing a responsibility system and assessment and evaluation mechanism for marine environmental protection goals, as well as conducting central ecological and environmental inspections and national natural resource inspections, are important measures for addressing prominent issues in the marine ecological environment, strengthening local accountability, and motivating officials to take on their responsibilities and act decisively.

Implement a system of accountability and assessment for marine environmental protection targets. In 2014, the Environmental Protection Law was revised to introduce a system of accountability and assessment for environmental protection targets. In 2015, the Action Plan for Water Pollution Control incorporated core task indicators—such as the proportion of nearshore waters with excellent water quality—into the target responsibility assessment system for coastal local governments. In 2020, the status of nearshore water quality was integrated into the performance assessment system for the battle against pollution, with annual increases in the standards for nearshore water quality. In 2023, the revised Marine Environmental Protection Law explicitly stipulated that local people's governments at or above the county level along the coast are responsible for the quality of the marine environment within their administered waters. The assessment results serve as an important basis for rewarding, punishing, promoting, and appointing leading cadres at all levels, playing a crucial guiding role in strengthening the responsibilities of coastal local governments and encouraging officials to take on their duties and deliver results. Zhejiang has established a comprehensive evaluation system for marine ecology and incorporated the evaluation results into the assessment systems for “Five-Water Co-Governance” and the construction of “Beautiful Zhejiang,” effectively boosting the enthusiasm of leading cadres to engage in work and entrepreneurship.

Implement ecological and environmental protection inspections and patrols. Since 2015, three rounds of central ecological and environmental protection inspections have been conducted, covering 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, as well as relevant departments of the State Council and certain central enterprises. The marine environment has been designated as a key inspection area. During these inspections, a number of prominent issues in the marine ecological environment—including illegal aquaculture in nearshore waters, destruction of mangrove forests, unauthorized and unlawful land reclamation encroaching on coastal zones, and water pollution in nearshore waters—have been identified and disclosed. All such findings have been reported to the provincial Party committees and governments, which have responded with clear attitudes and resolute measures to establish regular implementation mechanisms at the local level. These efforts have received high praise from the central authorities, earned widespread public approval, garnered support from all sectors, and achieved remarkable results in addressing these issues. Provincial-level ecological and environmental protection inspections have also been carried out, with close attention paid to the most pressing problems in the marine ecological environment. Routine inspections are conducted continuously, and special-purpose inspections are continually deepened. A system of regular, periodic, and dynamic inspections has been established to comprehensively strengthen supervision and oversight of key projects, hot-spot areas, and critical links, focusing on tackling major issues such as marine pollution and ecological damage.

Focus on marine ecological protection and implement national natural resource inspections. The 13th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China explicitly states: “Implement a marine inspection system and carry out regular marine inspections.” In 2017, the first round of marine inspections was conducted on 11 coastal provincial governments, with a primary focus on examining how local people’s governments have implemented the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council regarding marine resources and the environment, as well as relevant laws and regulations and national plans, programs, and key policy measures for marine resources and the environment. Identified problems were referred to the respective provincial people’s governments, thereby effectively supervising local governments’ lawful and scientific allocation of marine and island resources and their fulfillment of the main responsibility for marine environmental protection. In recent years, the national natural resource inspection authorities have annually conducted marine inspections targeting coastal local governments, focusing particularly on urging the strict enforcement of controls over land reclamation and the strengthening of coastal wetland conservation responsibilities. These inspections emphasize the principal responsibility of provincial governments, with special attention paid to newly discovered illegal land reclamation activities, encroachment upon ecological protection redlines for marine use, unlawful or non-compliant approval of marine use, and other prominent issues that harm marine ecosystems—such as destruction of mangrove forests, uninhabited islands, and natural shorelines. For the problems identified, inspection opinion letters are issued to the relevant provincial people’s governments; leading officials of municipal governments where violations and irregularities are particularly serious are summoned for interviews; major issues uncovered during inspections are publicly reported; and continuous follow-up and supervision are carried out to ensure that local governments fulfill their principal responsibility for marine ecological protection.

6. Enhance the level of green and low-carbon development in the marine sector.

China has always attached great importance to the ocean—understanding it, exploring it, and harnessing its potential. While firmly safeguarding the ecological safety boundary, we are comprehensively enhancing the efficiency of marine resource utilization, promoting green development of the marine economy, and continuously meeting the diverse and multi-layered needs of the people for the ocean. Through high-level ecological and environmental protection, we are constantly fostering new momentum and new advantages for high-quality development.

(1) Promote the efficient utilization of marine resources.

The ocean is a treasure trove of resources upon which our survival and development depend, and it also serves as a vital platform for building a strong maritime nation. China continues to promote the efficient and intensive use of marine resources, coordinate and strengthen the supply of marine resource elements, and safeguard the ocean’s natural capacity for regeneration. In pursuing multiple objectives, we strive to achieve a virtuous synergy between high-level resource security and high-quality development.

Promote the economical and intensive use of marine resources. In recent years, China has actively planned, practiced, and implemented differentiated strategies for the intensive and economical use of marine space. To gain a clearer understanding of marine resource endowments, China has launched pilot surveys of marine resource assets, providing a solid foundation for optimizing the allocation and promoting the intensive and efficient utilization of marine resources. In terms of setting benchmarks, China has initially designated 18 model counties (and cities) for the economical and intensive use of marine resources, transforming exemplary and leading-use models and technologies into replicable and scalable institutional experiences, thereby encouraging various resource elements to better support high-quality development. Regarding marine spatial resources, China is exploring and advancing the three-dimensional, layered allocation of marine space rights, driving a shift in marine management from “two-dimensional” to “three-dimensional” approaches. Additionally, China has introduced supportive measures to ensure the availability of marine use factors and is properly addressing legacy issues related to land reclamation and coastal development. In the area of industrial marine use, China is optimizing the management of aquaculture areas, scientifically determining the scale and layout of aquaculture zones, and introducing policies for managing marine use in photovoltaic projects, thus encouraging integrated and three-dimensional development.

Strengthen the sustainable utilization of fishery resources. Properly balance the relationship between fishery resource conservation and exploitation, and carry out rational conservation and long-term sustainable use based on scientific assessments. Since the implementation of the marine seasonal fishing moratorium system in 1995, the duration of the moratorium has been continuously extended and its scope expanded, thereby controlling the intensity of marine fishing, protecting and restoring fishery resources, and promoting the sustained and healthy development of marine fisheries. Starting in 2003, China has successively introduced a total allowable catch management system for marine fishery resources, a fishery licensing system, and a “dual-control” system governing both the number and power of marine fishing vessels, while also exploring the implementation of quota-based management differentiated by species and region.

(2) Strengthen the green foundation of the marine economy.

Actively pursuing the dual-carbon goals, we are integrating green and low-carbon principles into the development model of the marine economy, promoting sustainable development of marine fisheries, fostering green transformation in port operations, shipping, and shipbuilding, and scientifically developing and utilizing clean ocean energy. As a result, the green transition of the marine industry has achieved positive outcomes.

Building modern marine ranches. As an important tool for conserving aquatic biological resources and restoring marine ecosystems, marine ranches have played a significant role in promoting the sustainable development of marine fisheries. As of 2023, a total of 169 national-level marine ranch demonstration zones have been established, generating annual ecological benefits of nearly 178.1 billion yuan. The effectiveness of marine fishery resource conservation has been evident: in 2019, the populations of yellow croaker, small yellow croaker, hairtail, and cuttlefish along the Zhejiang coast had increased by more than four times compared to the late 1990s, with the density of small yellow croaker resources rising by 34.1%. Marine aquaculture is gradually expanding from nearshore areas to deeper and farther-offshore waters. Fully submersible, deep-sea intelligent aquaculture equipment independently developed by China has now entered operational use, pioneering a unique, green aquaculture model for deep and far-offshore waters in China.

Green and intelligent development of port shipping and shipbuilding. We are building smart and green ports, and strengthening the utilization of clean energy at coastal ports. Qingdao Port has established a modern energy system integrating wind, solar, hydrogen storage, and multi-energy complementarity, with clean energy accounting for 66% of the port’s total energy consumption. An intelligent aerial rail-based collection and distribution system has enabled energy savings of over 50%. Tianjin Port is promoting the construction of “smart zero-carbon” terminals, helping to achieve carbon neutrality in port operations and reduce energy consumption. We are also advancing the construction of three green shipping corridors: Shanghai Port—Los Angeles/Long Beach Port, Guangzhou Port—Los Angeles Port, and Tianjin Port—Singapore Port, accelerating decarbonization in the shipping industry. Green and new-energy vessels are rapidly developing. The first methanol dual-fuel-powered green vessel can reduce carbon emissions by 75%, nitrogen emissions by 15%, and sulfur and particulate matter emissions by 99%. A 700-TEU (standard container) all-electric container ship can annually offset emissions equivalent to planting 160,000 trees, demonstrating remarkable carbon reduction and emission reduction effects.

Clean ocean energy is booming. The capacity for harnessing clean ocean energy continues to grow, with the scale of clean energy expanding and its share increasing. By the end of 2023, China’s cumulative installed capacity of offshore wind power reached 37.69 million kilowatts, accounting for approximately 50% of the global total and ranking first worldwide for four consecutive years. Marine renewable energy is rapidly developing: the megawatt-scale tidal current generator “Fenjin” continuously supplies green energy to the national grid; China’s first domestically developed megawatt-scale wave energy generation platform for deep-sea operations, the “Nankun” vessel, provides clean power to remote islands and reefs; and the deep-sea aquaculture platform “Penghu” achieves self-sufficiency in clean energy by integrating wave energy, solar power generation systems, and energy storage devices.

(3) Exploring the Realization of Ecological Product Value

The azure seas and silver beaches embody the vision of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and golden mountains and silver hills are equally precious.” China is continuously exploring institutional innovations related to ocean carbon sinks, actively promoting the management and development of marine ecological products, and striving to establish mechanisms for realizing the value of these ecological products.

We are planning to establish a nearshore ecological protection compensation system. Marine ecological protection compensation is an important mechanism for guiding beneficiaries of marine ecosystems to fulfill their compensation obligations, incentivizing marine ecosystem protectors to safeguard the ecological environment, fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between marine ecosystem protectors and beneficiaries, and promoting the sustainable development of the marine economy. In 2021, the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Ecological Protection Compensation System" were issued, calling for the establishment of a nearshore protection compensation system. Hainan, Hebei, Guangxi, Lianyungang in Jiangsu, and Xiamen in Fujian have all introduced marine ecological compensation policies tailored to their respective local conditions and have begun implementing these compensation initiatives. The incentive effects of these compensation programs are gradually becoming evident across various regions.

Continuously explore institutional innovations related to ocean carbon sinks. Ocean carbon sinks are an important component in helping China achieve its strategic goals of "peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality." China has formulated an Action Plan for Ocean Carbon Sinks, issued a series of technical standards for blue carbon surveys and monitoring, and launched pilot projects for surveying carbon stocks and monitoring carbon sink capacities in blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, coastal salt marshes, and seagrass beds. Additionally, China is implementing monitoring of CO₂ fluxes between the ocean and the atmosphere and conducting monitoring of greenhouse gas emission reductions from offshore oil and gas platforms. The "Administrative Measures for Voluntary Emission Reduction Trading of Greenhouse Gases (Trial)" have been introduced, and a methodology for voluntary emission reduction projects involving mangrove afforestation has been released, supporting the participation of ocean carbon sink projects in the national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market. Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hainan provinces and regions are actively exploring innovative models such as carbon inclusive trading, carbon sink insurance, and carbon sink-based mortgage schemes.

Actively promote the development and commercialization of marine ecological products. In 2021, the "Opinions on Establishing and Improving the Mechanism for Realizing the Value of Ecological Products" were issued and implemented, systematically laying out the framework for building a mechanism to realize the value of ecological products. Relevant authorities released and implemented the "Norms for Calculating Gross Ecosystem Product (Trial)" and "Typical Cases of Realizing the Value of Ecological Products," providing theoretical and technical support for the construction of this mechanism. Coastal regions have actively innovated approaches and mechanisms: Wenzhou Dongtou in Zhejiang Province has pioneered a model featuring "special rewards from higher authorities + self-financing by local governments + participation of social capital," attracting social capital to join the "Blue Bay" remediation project and advancing the construction of a "Marine Garden." The China Ocean Development Foundation has established the first special fund focused on marine economic-themed ecological civilization construction in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, supporting initiatives such as the development of marine industrial parks, marine ecological parks, and marine engineering centers in the region, thereby accelerating technological innovation and industrial development related to realizing the value of marine ecological products.

Continuously improve the system for compensating for damage to the marine ecological environment. China attaches great importance to compensation for damage to the marine ecological environment. When revising the Law on Marine Environmental Protection in 1999, China explicitly established a national compensation mechanism for losses caused by damage to marine ecosystems. Subsequently, China issued the "Measures for Claiming National Losses from Damage to Marine Ecosystems" and the "Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Adjudication of Disputes over Compensation for Damage to Marine Natural Resources and the Ecological Environment," providing guidance for implementing compensation for damage to the marine ecological environment and achieving positive results. In 2023, China once again revised the Law on Marine Environmental Protection, further refining and improving the system for compensating for damage to the marine ecological environment.

(4) Launch a nationwide green and low-carbon initiative.

Actively carry out diverse marine cultural education and science popularization activities to enhance public awareness of environmental protection and ecological consciousness, promote a lifestyle that is simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, and civilized and healthy, and transform the concept of green living into a conscious action shared by all people. We should also attract all sectors of society to join hands in loving, protecting, and getting closer to the ocean.

Awareness of marine ecological protection has taken root in people’s hearts. For many years in a row, themed events have been held to mark World Oceans Day and National Marine Publicity Day, Earth Day, World Environment Day, World Wetlands Day, and other such occasions. Nationwide, more than 160 “National Marine Awareness Education Bases” have been established, working together to safeguard our blue home. Maritime festivals such as the Zhoushan Archipelago—China Marine Culture Festival and the China (Xiangshan) Fishing Opening Festival, as well as renowned exhibitions and forums like the China Marine Economy Expo and Xiamen International Ocean Week, have become important platforms for showcasing China’s distinctive marine culture. The National Ocean Museum—the “Forbidden City on the Sea”—has been completed and opened to the public, serving as a vital classroom where people can learn about marine civilization, gain a deeper understanding of marine resources, and reshape their values toward the ocean. The National Marine Knowledge Competition has been held continuously for 14 sessions, attracting over a thousand universities’ students and reaching 6 million participants each year. As a result, public awareness and concern for the ocean have significantly increased, and people’s sense of mission, responsibility, and pride in developing and protecting the ocean have steadily grown stronger.

Engage the entire population in marine ecological conservation efforts. Marine ecological conservation fully harnesses the power of the people, mobilizing all sectors of society to actively take action and become proactive promoters and exemplary practitioners of the concept of ecological civilization. In 2019, China introduced the concept of “Blue Citizens” and has since carried out various projects and activities for several consecutive years, encouraging community residents to take concrete actions for a beautiful and clean ocean and supporting the growth of Blue Citizens. Since 2017, China has consecutively hosted seven National Beach-Cleaning Public Welfare Campaigns and organized the “Beautiful Ocean Public Welfare Initiative,” creating an independent Chinese brand for marine public welfare that has attracted and strengthened the participation of diverse groups—from communities across the country to all sectors of society—in protecting our oceans. In Xiamen, Fujian, the city has recruited “Citizen Lake Chiefs” from among the general public to manage the Qianjiang Lake, leveraging social forces to contribute ideas and solutions for marine ecological conservation. In Hainan, efforts are underway to establish “Waste Banks,” encouraging tourists to participate in beach cleanup activities. Through a variety of engaging initiatives, these efforts are fostering a positive atmosphere of nationwide participation in marine ecological conservation.

Deeply embrace and practice a green lifestyle. Protecting the marine ecosystem is everyone’s responsibility. Let’s promote civilized tourism along coastlines: refrain from purchasing products made from rare marine species, avoid disturbing marine life, and don’t discard plastic waste into the sea—instead, consciously safeguard the health of our marine ecosystems. More and more people are reducing their consumption of bottled water, plastic bags, and plastic utensils by bringing their own cups, bags, and cutlery, thereby cutting down at the source on the generation of marine plastic waste and embracing a green, low-carbon, and circular lifestyle.

7. Fully promote international cooperation on marine ecological and environmental protection.

The issue of oceans is a global one, and safeguarding the marine ecological environment is a shared concern of people around the world. In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment adopted the "Declaration on the Human Environment," which included marine environmental protection among its twenty-six principles, thus launching a global movement for marine conservation. In 1982, the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea adopted the "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," opening a new chapter in global ocean governance and providing comprehensive and systematic regulations for marine environmental protection. Subsequently, the international community has adopted a series of marine environmental protection agreements, continuously advancing global marine conservation efforts. Countries around the world are further building consensus and pooling their strengths to proactively address the risks and challenges facing the marine ecosystem, and are committed to jointly building clean and beautiful oceans. China firmly puts into practice the vision of a community with a shared future for the oceans, engaging in mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with the international community through multiple channels, in various forms, and at a deep level, thereby contributing Chinese wisdom to the global effort for marine ecological protection.

(1) Actively fulfill commitments and participate in global governance.

China remains committed to pursuing the well-being of all humanity, playing its role as a major country, and earnestly fulfilling its responsibilities and obligations under international conventions in the marine domain, demonstrating its sense of responsibility as a major country through concrete and pragmatic actions.

Fulfilling in a practical manner our responsibilities and obligations under international conventions in the marine domain. The issue of marine ecological environment involves a wide range of fields. China supports advancing global marine ecological conservation from a holistic perspective and actively promotes the effective implementation of international treaties related to oceans, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In May 1996, China ratified and acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, opening a new chapter for China’s participation in global ocean governance. Moreover, China has joined more than 30 multilateral treaties related to oceans, such as the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter and the Antarctic Treaty, demonstrating its commitment and proactive role in marine conservation across broader and more detailed areas. Under the framework of international conventions, China has established a policy system covering marine ecological protection, resource conservation, and management of polar activities. It proactively implements voluntary fishing moratoriums in the high seas and actively fulfills environmental protection obligations, such as conducting environmental impact assessments for Antarctic research activities. China also participates in the United Nations’ Regular Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, regularly publishes reports on progress toward implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, submits national reports under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and prepares national communications on climate change. Through these efforts, China presents to the international community tangible progress in its actions to protect the marine ecological environment and conserve marine resources, demonstrating its concrete contributions in fulfilling various convention obligations.

Integrating into the promotion of global ocean governance. China actively participates in the development of global ocean governance mechanisms and is committed to building a more just and equitable global ocean governance system. China actively engages in multilateral governance, taking an active part in the affairs of international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the International Seabed Authority, and the International Maritime Organization. It plays a proactive role in agendas such as the Meetings of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Since 2012, China has submitted over 120 individual or joint proposals to relevant polar international organizations and more than 700 various proposals to international organizations including the International Maritime Organization, extensively participating in the formulation of rules and regulations related to environmental protection and resource conservation. China has promoted the continued advancement of multilateral processes such as the drafting of regulations for exploration and exploitation by the International Seabed Authority, negotiations on agreements and regulations concerning fisheries issues by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and negotiations on the United Nations International Convention on the Prevention of Plastic Pollution. China has also deeply engaged in the negotiation and implementation of the Agreement for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction in the Central Arctic Ocean. Moreover, China facilitated the reaching of consensus—and promptly signed—the nearly 20-year-long negotiations on the “Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction,” making outstanding contributions to global ocean governance.

(2) Expanding the “circle of friends” for maritime cooperation

Addressing global marine ecological and environmental challenges is a long and arduous task that calls for broad global participation and concerted action. China adheres to multilateralism and, with an open and pragmatic attitude, is developing blue partnerships to work hand in hand with the international community in building a prosperous and beautiful ocean that benefits all nations.

Establish broad blue partnerships. China, on the basis of voluntary participation and cooperation with various countries, jointly discusses and builds global blue partnerships. In 2017, at the first-ever UN Conference on Ocean Sustainable Development, China put forward the initiative to “build blue partnerships,” promoting international cooperation aimed at “cherishing our shared oceans and safeguarding our blue home.” Subsequently, China released the “Vision for Maritime Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative,” formally proposing the establishment of blue partnerships. In September 2021, “actively promoting the establishment of blue partnerships” was identified by the High-level Dialogue on Global Development as one of the specific measures China would take within the framework of the Global Development Initiative. At the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, China released the “Principles for Blue Partnerships,” launched the “Sustainable Blue Partnership Cooperation Network” and the “Blue Partnership Fund,” and jointly undertook actions to protect and sustainably utilize oceans and marine resources. To date, China has signed intergovernmental and interdepartmental cooperation agreements in the maritime field with more than 50 countries and international organizations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, playing a significant role in effectively mobilizing all parties to advance global marine ecological conservation.

Expand platforms and mechanisms for marine cooperation. China regards the protection of the marine ecological environment as a key area of cooperation, proactively establishing new platforms and building new mechanisms for global marine cooperation to foster consensus among all parties. Grounded in platform development, China is taking the lead in fostering cooperation by initiating and operating the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform and the China-ASEAN Center for Marine Cooperation. These platforms facilitate practical cooperation with East Asian and ASEAN countries in areas such as marine scientific research, ecological environmental protection, and disaster prevention and mitigation. China also hosts international organizations’ mechanisms for international cooperation based in China, including the APEC Center for Ocean Sustainable Development and the “Ocean Decade” Collaboration Center for Oceans and Climate. These platforms coordinate innovation and cooperation in the global ocean and climate fields, promote the sharing and exchange of beneficial experiences in marine ecological protection among countries, and play an important role in jointly safeguarding the marine ecological environment.

Advocating for and leading both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, China adheres to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, continuously expanding the scope of its external cooperation. China places great emphasis on conducting dialogue and exchanges on multilateral platforms, successfully hosting a series of events including the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum—Marine Cooperation Forum, the Global Coastal Forum, the Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization, and the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Forum. These initiatives have propelled new progress in cooperation across a range of fields, such as marine ecological protection and restoration, marine disaster monitoring and early warning, and the prevention and control of marine plastic pollution. China attaches great importance to mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation among nations, having established long-term bilateral marine cooperation mechanisms with numerous countries and consistently pursuing cooperation and exchanges in multiple areas. China actively provides technical capacity support to developing countries, jointly establishing with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mozambique, Jamaica, and many other countries platforms such as joint marine research centers, joint laboratories, and joint observation stations. These efforts have played a positive role in strengthening marine ecological environmental protection in developing countries. China also collaborates with other countries on projects including research on marine endangered species, joint surveys of the Yellow Sea environment, monitoring and data collection on coral reefs, and the prevention and control of marine litter and microplastics. The outcomes of these collaborative efforts have injected greater vitality into regional marine ecological conservation.

(3) Expand cooperation in deep-sea and polar scientific research.

Protecting the deep-sea and polar ecosystems is a shared responsibility of humanity. As an important participant, strong promoter, and active practitioner in deep-sea and polar affairs, China actively leads international exploration and research in these regions and works together with the international community to jointly promote the sustainable development of the deep sea and polar areas.

Jointly promote deep-sea research and exploration. Actively participate in international seabed affairs, scientifically coordinate deep-sea surveys, and strengthen the protection of deep-sea ecological environments. China has conducted more than 80 scientific expeditions in the deep-sea domain, carrying out joint scientific research with countries including Russia, Japan, Nigeria, Seychelles, and Indonesia, and making persistent efforts to deepen all nations’ understanding of deep-sea ecosystems. Leveraging the findings from Earth science surveys, since 2011, China has submitted proposals for naming seabed geographical entities to the International Seabed Geographical Names Committee for over a decade. Among these proposals, 261 have been approved, contributing to a clearer understanding of the deep-sea geographic environment by humanity. Based on the results of deep-sea biological resource surveys, China has established an oceanic microbial resource bank that ranks among the world’s largest in terms of both storage capacity and species diversity, thereby supporting humanity’s deeper comprehension of the life processes of deep-sea organisms.

Jointly deepening our understanding of the polar regions. China adheres to international law in protecting the natural environments of the Arctic and Antarctic, and actively participates in international cooperation to address environmental and climate change challenges in these regions. At the 40th Meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, China took the lead in jointly proposing the “Green Expedition” initiative with more than 10 countries. The initiative was adopted by the Conference in the form of a resolution, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Antarctic exploration. China has established five Antarctic research stations and two Arctic research stations in Norway and Iceland, providing crucial platforms for thousands of scientists to conduct polar-region observations, biological monitoring, glacier studies, and other research activities. China has organized 13 expeditions to the Arctic Ocean and 40 expeditions to Antarctica, and has signed memoranda of understanding or joint statements with countries including the United States, Russia, Australia, Iceland, and New Zealand. It has engaged in international cooperation with over 10 countries and, as a key participant, has taken part in the largest-ever Arctic research program—the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC). China also leads the implementation of the “International Joint Exploration of the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge” international cooperation initiative and collaborates with multiple countries on tasks assigned to the “Ring” Task Force of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, making positive contributions to humanity’s deeper understanding of the impact of the polar regions on global marine ecosystems.

(4) Widely carry out foreign assistance training.

Faced with the global challenge of deteriorating marine ecological environments, all countries are part of a community with a shared future, sailing together through thick and thin. China is working in solidarity and cooperation with the international community; while pursuing its own development, it seeks to bring greater benefits to other countries and peoples, thus contributing Chinese strength to deepening global efforts for marine ecological conservation.

China has extensively carried out foreign assistance, providing support and help to developing countries in their efforts to address marine ecological and environmental challenges through various means and to the best of its ability. In 2012, China launched the “Chinese Government Scholarship for Ocean Studies,” which has trained over 300 master’s and doctoral students in ocean-related fields from 45 countries, including those participating in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, thereby nurturing young marine science and management professionals for developing nations. China has also provided technical assistance to multiple countries—including Thailand, Cambodia, and Cape Verde—on topics such as marine spatial planning, marine economic planning, and sea-level rise assessment. Furthermore, China has organized training workshops on the management of marine dumping under the London Convention and its 1996 Protocol, disseminating concepts and technologies for marine ecological and environmental protection to countries in Africa and Latin America.

Actively carry out overseas training programs. China has established several centers, including the China–International Seabed Authority Joint Training and Research Center, the International Ocean Institute—China Western Pacific Regional Center, the IOC Regional Center for Training and Research in Ocean Dynamics and Climate, and the Tianjin Regional Training Center of the Global Ocean Teachers’ College, thereby creating platforms for marine education, training, and public awareness-raising in developing countries. These centers organize a variety of specialized training courses, actively sharing knowledge and practical experience in integrated coastal zone management, ocean governance, and marine ecological conservation. Each year, these centers train approximately 500 people, making positive contributions to enhancing the technical capacity of researchers in developing countries in the field of marine ecological conservation.

Closing remarks

The ocean is humanity’s blue home, upon which our survival depends. Faced with the global challenges posed by marine environmental issues, all of humanity forms a community with a shared future, bound together by common interests and destinies. Protecting the marine ecosystem and promoting the sustainable development of the oceans are the shared responsibilities of all humankind.

Currently, China has embarked on a new journey to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization, and the marine sector is now entering a period of major historical opportunity. Protecting the marine ecological environment is both a fundamental requirement and an essential guarantee for accelerating the building of a strong maritime nation and achieving harmonious coexistence between humanity and the ocean.

On the new journey ahead, China remains committed to the new development philosophy and is advancing ecological civilization building, continuing to foster a marine ecological environment characterized by harmony between humanity and the ocean. Upholding the spirit of global vision and win-win cooperation, China is putting the concept of a community with a shared future for the ocean into practice through concrete actions. We are willing to work together with all countries around the world to lay a solid foundation for marine ecological civilization, jointly pursue a path of green marine development, and ensure that the ocean will forever remain a beautiful home where humanity can thrive and rely on for its development—thus jointly building a cleaner and more beautiful world.

① A cross-section refers to the entire profile—set up perpendicular to the direction of water flow—in rivers or channels—for the purpose of measuring and collecting water quality samples. A nationally-controlled cross-section is a monitoring cross-section (or sampling point) established by China for the evaluation, assessment, and ranking of national surface water environmental quality.