Qingdao, October 25, 2024 – The Europe Today: The 2024 Global Ocean Development Forum, attended by over 600 dignitaries, experts, and scholars from 41 countries, concluded on Friday in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The forum focused on advancing cooperation across ocean-related sectors, including economy, technology, and ecological protection.
Peter Thomson, UN special envoy for the ocean, underscored the pressing need for ocean protection, stressing that global collaboration is crucial to meeting sustainable development goals. China’s Vice Minister of Natural Resources, Sun Shuxian, highlighted China’s advancements in its marine industry and its ongoing efforts to improve marine ecology.
During the two-day event, the 2024 China Ocean Development Index Report was unveiled, showing an annual growth rate of 2.9% in China’s marine development index from 2016 to 2023. Zhang Zhanhai, chairman of the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association, emphasized China’s capability in deep-sea technology, crucial for sustainable seabed resource utilization.
Iceland’s Ambassador to China, Thorir Ibsen, commended China’s role in boosting the global marine economy, noting the strengthening marine trade ties between Iceland and China.
The forum was hosted by the Shandong provincial government in collaboration with China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, fostering dialogue on sustainable and cooperative marine development.