The 2024 Shenzhen Global Marine Economy Forum was held in Shenzhen from October 31 to November 1, 2024, alongside the China Marine Economy Expo. Key figures in the forum included government and diplomatic representatives such as Sun Shuxian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Zhang Shaokang, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, and Qin Weizhong, Mayor of Shenzhen are participating the opening ceremony of the China Marine Economy Expo.
The forum’s opening ceremony featured speeches by prominent leaders like LV Bin, President of the China Oceanic Development Foundation, and Yang Hong, President of the Global Ocean Capital Promotion Council of Shenzhen, among others. Thomas Sargent, the 2011 Nobel Laureate in Economics, delivered a speech on the role of the blue economy in the global economic landscape, titled “What role and place for the Blue Economy in the global economy?”.
LV Bin emphasized the China Oceanic Development Foundation’s commitment to building blue partnerships and contributing to global ocean governance. The foundation has launched several initiatives, including promoting ocean spatial planning and blue economic development through the Maritime Silk Road initiative.
Chan Yaodong, Deputy Secretary-General of Shenzhen’s Municipal Government, discussed Shenzhen’s progress in becoming a global marine center, highlighting the city’s strengths in ocean technology innovation, ecological improvement, and global marine governance.
Yang Hong spoke about the Shenzhen Global Marine Center City Promotion Association’s efforts to build an international exchange platform to foster collaboration between global marine cities, advancing marine economic growth and promoting sustainable ocean cooperation.
During one and a half days of sessions, the Forum brought together over 70 speakers from international organizations, government agencies, business, technology, and academia, who discussed high-level topics related to key metrics for global ocean center cities, such as marine technology, industry, shipping, culture, and governance. The goal was to enhance city-to-city exchanges, accelerate the development of blue partnerships, drive high-quality marine economic growth, and create globally competitive, attractive, and innovative global marine centers.
The Forum participants reached a consensus on four key areas:
Marine Technology Innovation: Emphasizing the need for international collaboration in marine technology development to enhance resource utilization, especially in fields like resource exploration, deep-sea mining, and renewable energy. The establishment of a global research data-sharing platform was proposed for improved resource assessment.
Blue Partnerships: Advocating for the formation of diverse “blue partnerships” to support the global marine economy through cooperation in policy, funding, and technology, with a focus on supporting emerging economies in Asia and Africa.
Marine Governance: Calling for modernized marine governance to improve ecological protection and resource management, including the use of digital technologies for better environmental monitoring and control of illegal fishing and pollution.
Shenzhen’s Role: Highlighting Shenzhen’s unique potential to become a global ocean center city, leveraging its strengths in marine economy, technological innovation, and international cooperation to drive global marine innovation and expand blue partnerships, particularly with Southeast Asia and Africa.
Media ContactCompany Name: China Marine Economy Expo (CMEE)Contact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailPhone: 0755-82512311Country: ChinaWebsite: https://www.cimee.com.cn/en/
