2024 East Asian Seas Congress opens in SE China

The 2024 East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress, held alongside Xiamen World Ocean Week, kicked off in Xiamen City, southeast China's Fujian Province, running until November 12. This marks the first time that the EAS Congress, a regional marine conference organized by the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), is held concurrently with World Ocean Week.

At the opening ceremony, China's Ministry of Natural Resources released the 2024 National Ecological Protection and Restoration Bulletin. This bulletin reviews China's ecological governance in the past 75 years, covering five main areas: practices in ecological protection and restoration, policy frameworks, national ecological assessments, spatial ecological conservation actions, and China's contributions to a "Green Earth."

The bulletin aims to raise public awareness of ecological conservation, foster efforts toward a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and strengthen international consensus on building an eco-friendly global civilization, according to China's Ministry of Natural Resources.

Hosted by PEMSEA and organized by China's Ministry of Natural Resources and the People's Government of Xiamen City, this year's congress has the theme of "Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean." The event will feature international conferences, special meetings, exhibitions, marine industry investment showcases, and a marine cultural festival.

Xiamen was awarded the "Best Practice in Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration" award, promoting the "Xiamen Practice" model of marine ecological restoration. The event includes more than 30 parallel sessions on the blue economy and sustainable oceans and hosts nearly 300 exhibitors. It has attracted over 1,000 participants, including representatives from East Asian Seas member countries, international organizations, scholars, institutions and enterprises, from over a dozen countries.

During the opening ceremony, Shen Yueyue, Vice Chairperson of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, represented the country to put forth three proposals: prioritizing the ocean as a medium for building a community with a shared future for mankind to foster a "peaceful sea"; treating the ocean as a strategic area for high-quality development to create a "prosperous sea"; and viewing the ocean as a platform for ecological civilization to build a "beautiful sea."