Chinese, foreign experts call for cooperation on ocean sustainability

QINGDAO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 600 dignitaries, experts and scholars from 41 countries and regions shared ideas on deepening cooperation on ocean-related areas -- including the economy, technology and ecology -- at the 2024 Global Ocean Development Forum, which concluded on Friday in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province.

Peter Thomson, the United Nations secretary-general's special envoy for the ocean, emphasized the urgency of ocean protection, noting that it is only through global cooperation that sustainable development goals can be achieved.

Sun Shuxian, China's vice minister of natural resources and head of the State Oceanic Administration, highlighted the steady growth of China's marine industry and the continuous improvements in the country's marine ecological environment.

The two-day event saw the release of the 2024 China Ocean Development Index Report, which revealed that China's marine development index grew at an average annual rate of 2.9 percent from 2016 to 2023.

Zhang Zhanhai, chairman of the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association, noted that with expertise in deep-sea equipment and technology, China is well-positioned to support the sustainable development and utilization of global seabed resources.

Iceland's Ambassador to China Thorir Ibsen highlighted China's vital role in advancing the global marine economy. He also noted the long-standing cooperative relationship between Iceland and China in marine-related fields, as well as the growing marine trade between the two countries.

The forum was hosted by Shandong's provincial government and the Ministry of Natural Resources.