In 2014, China's gross ocean product was nearly 6 trillion yuan
China's marine industrial structure was further optimized, marine ecological protection and construction were strengthened, and major marine special capacity-building projects continued to advance.
“According to preliminary estimates, in 2014 the national gross ocean product was nearly 6 trillion yuan, with a growth rate of about 7.6%, and China's marine economy achieved steady and healthy development.” Wang Hong, director of the State Oceanic Administration, said at the national marine work conference held days ago.
In 2014, China's marine economy maintained overall steady operation and entered a stage of deep adjustment ahead of the national economy. Specifically, the marine industrial structure was further optimized, marine traditional industries achieved restorative growth, the marine oil and gas industry was generally stable, the marine biomedicine industry continued to hold the top growth rate, the marine engineering equipment manufacturing industry grew rapidly, the marine shipbuilding industry stabilized and picked up, marine engineering construction advanced steadily, and sea-related financial services gradually got off the ground, strongly supporting the sea-related real economy.
Alongside the development of the marine economy, marine ecological protection and construction were strengthened. In 2014, the State Oceanic Administration fully established and implemented the Bohai Sea ecological red line system, forming a situation in which the Bohai Sea took the lead and the whole country followed, and took the lead in implementing a regional restricted approval system within the marine ecological red line areas of Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong and other places.
At the same time, China's major marine special capacity-building projects continued to advance. In 2014, the construction of two 4,500-tonne-class comprehensive marine scientific research vessels was carried out smoothly; the project proposals for the Haiyang-1 C/D satellites and the Haiyang-2 B satellite were submitted, and the first-phase ground system of the Haiyang-2 A satellite received preliminary design approval; the operational trial operation of the “Digital Ocean” information infrastructure framework made phased progress; the construction of 10 tsunami warning observation stations under the second phase of the South China Sea tsunami warning and disaster reduction system was completed, and operational operation gradually began.
At present, the marine economy has become an important growth point for China's economy. Jiang Daming, Minister of Land and Resources, stressed that to solidly carry out marine work under the new normal of economic development, it is necessary to take vigorously developing the marine economy as an important growth point for promoting sustained and healthy economic development, further improve the capacity for developing marine resources, and focus on promoting the transformation of the marine economy toward a quality-and-efficiency-oriented model; to take innovation-driven development as a powerful driving force for the development of the marine cause, rely on scientific and technological progress and innovation, and strive to break through the scientific and technological bottlenecks constraining the development of the marine economy and marine ecological protection; to take marine environmental protection as an important platform for ecological civilization construction, incorporate marine ecological civilization construction into the overall layout of building a maritime power, and develop and utilize marine resources scientifically and rationally; and to take safeguarding national maritime rights and interests in accordance with the law as an important part of comprehensively advancing the rule of law, and vigorously enhance maritime law enforcement capacity.
Wang Hong said that in 2015, the State Oceanic Administration will actively give play to the effectiveness of comprehensive marine management, proactively adapt to the new normal of economic development, and improve the strategy for building a maritime power and marine planning. Closely around the strategic deployment of building a maritime power and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, it will actively promote and expand cooperation and exchanges with countries along the Maritime Silk Road, deepen cooperation in fields such as marine science and technology, ecological and environmental protection, disaster reduction and prevention, and addressing climate change, continue to promote the implementation of the South China Sea and Surrounding Marine International Cooperation Framework Plan (2011-2015), launch the formulation of the 2016-2020 framework plan, and promote the construction of marine cooperation centers such as China-ASEAN, China-Malaysia and China-Zanzibar.
At the same time, the State Oceanic Administration will also refine the ecological red line indicators and control measures, and strive to fully establish and implement the provincial-level ecological red line system in coastal provinces by the end of 2015. It will select and build a new batch of national marine protected areas, and carry out management effectiveness assessment and supervision and inspection of protected areas. It will select some typical heavily polluted bays, strengthen dynamic monitoring, and carry out comprehensive treatment.