Qingdao hosts global ocean forum

Nearly 700 participants from 68 countries and regions gathered in Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, from Sunday to Tuesday for in-depth exchanges on marine economy, technology, governance, and culture at the 2025 Global Ocean Development Forum.

The National Marine Data and Information Service Center and the China Association of Marine Affairs jointly released the 2025 China Ocean Development Index Report during the forum.

The report noted that 83.7 percent of China's nearshore waters met top-quality standards in 2024, with coral reefs, seagrass beds, salt marshes, and mangroves generally in good condition.

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), more than 400 kilometers of coastline and 31,000 hectares of coastal wetlands have been restored, it said.

Qingdao was presented as a model of progress in China's marine ecology protection, with achievements in clean seas, green coasts, and sustainable bays.

Wu Lingling, director of the Marine Ecological Restoration Division at the South China Sea Bureau of the Ministry of Natural Resources, emphasized the role of innovative measures for restoring the marine environment, such as dedicated funds and compensation from litigation.

She noted the recent discovery of the province's largest eelgrass bed in Tangdaowan Bay in the city's West Coast New Area, saying that restored coastlines are attracting tourism in addition to improving biodiversity.

A similar report on the status of marine ecology in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was also released at the forum. According to this report, a preliminary land-sea-air-space integrated monitoring network was established in the GBA.

Monitoring results show that the overall condition in the area remains stable, with improvements observed in specific sections. Biodiversity indices have remained steady, and populations of rare and endangered marine species, such as Chinese white dolphins and sea turtles, are stable.