China's white paper on marine protection: A summary of the last decade

The State Council of China on Thursday released a white paper on marine ecological environment protection that summarizes China's ideas and achievements in this field over a decade.

The 27,000-word white paper, divided into seven comprehensive parts, provides a detailed account of China's achievements in marine ecological environment protection. It delves into the strategies used to combat ocean pollution, restore marine ecosystems, promote a green and low-carbon marine economy, and foster international cooperation on marine protection.

According to the paper, notable improvements in marine ecological environment management were seen over the last decade, with great efforts made to deal with marine pollution. The treatment rate of sanitary sewage in most cities and rural areas has also increased, with strict monitoring of sewage outlets to rivers and seas and the establishment of systems to intercept, collect, transport, and dispose of ocean waste.

In Bohai Sea, a key sea area in north China, 82.3 percent of the coastal waters meet the standard for good water quality in 2020, with a pH value ranging from 7.8 to 8.5, indicating a significant rise of 15.3 percent compared to 2017.

China has also divided its offshore area into 283 units of bay, of which 167 have a proportion of good water quality area surpassing 85 percent. Endangered species, such as Bryde's whale, the Chinese white dolphin and the black-faced spoonbill, frequently appear at many of the bays.

China also pushed forward a series of actions to protect and restore marine ecosystems.

Since 2016, China has restored 1,680 kilometers of coastline and more than 500 square kilometers of coastal wetlands. It has improved and enhanced the function of typical marine ecosystems and effectively restored the habitats of rare and endangered animals, such as the Chinese white dolphin and the Chinese horseshoe crab.

China is home to a diverse array of marine life, with over 28,000 species recorded, accounting for about 11 percent of the world's total known species. This fact makes China one of the countries with the richest marine biodiversity in the world.

By the end of 2023, about 70 square kilometers of mangroves had been planted, and about 56 square kilometers of existing ones had been restored. Surveys show that the mangrove area increased to 292 square kilometers, a remarkable rise of about 72 square kilometers since the beginning of this century.

Rule enforcement has played a key role in realizing these achievements. In terms of legislation, China established its first law on marine protection in 1982. Since 2012, it has made three corrections, one revision, and added 27 new articles to the law. Local legislation is also actively carried out. For example, southern China's Hainan Province issued a regulation on the protection of coral reef, and Xiamen City in Fujian Province made a regulation to protect the Chinese white dolphin.

China continues to adhere to its principle of green, low-carbon and sustainable development. It developed marine demonstration zones in marine ranching, generating an annual ecological benefit of nearly 178.1 billion yuan (about $24.5 billion). More green and smart ports have been built in coastal cities. Qingdao Port in north China's Shandong Province has applied a modern energy system integrating wind, solar and hydrogen energy. The proportion of clean energy now takes up 66 percent.

The utilization of marine renewable energy has continued to improve. By the end of 2023, China's cumulative installed capacity of offshore wind power has reached 37.69 million kilowatts, accounting for around 50 percent of the global share and ranking first in the world for four consecutive years.

Protecting the marine ecological environment has been a global concern for decades. In 1972, the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment marked the starting point of global action. China has been committed to its obligations and is dedicated to promoting more international cooperation in relevant areas. It continues to deepen cooperation and expand global partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative, signing maritime cooperation agreements with over 50 countries and international organizations. China also established joint marine research centers, laboratories and other cooperation mechanisms with nine countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Nigeria and Jamaica.

The ocean is the blue home to all human beings. In the face of the global challenge of marine environmental issues, humankind is a community with a shared future. The white paper tells the story of China's efforts to protect the marine ecological environment over the last decade and reflects China's commitment to implementing more practical actions along with the international community in the following decades.

(Cover: A view of the Bohai Sea in north China's Shandong Province. /VCG)