World Ocean Week in Xiamen helps to find blue economy partnerships

China aspires to build a sustainable marine ecological civilization, said Wang Hong, administrator of the State Oceanic Administration.

Wang made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Blue Economy Partnership Forum during the 2017 World Ocean Week in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Friday. The event centered on the theme of global ocean governance for a blue economy.

"Blue" refers to reducing environmental risks and prioritizing ecological protection, as the ocean equivalent to "green".

As part of the World Ocean Week in Xiamen from Nov 3 to 9, the forum aimed to build up blue partnerships, share blue economy practices and promote marine cooperation among China and other countries.

"We have focused more on coordinated development that balances the marine industry and ecological protection in recent years," Wang said.

"China is willing to build future-oriented, open, inclusive and concrete blue partnerships of mutual benefit with other countries and international organizations," he said.

The country wants to "establish a stable dialogue mechanism to develop mutual trust, expand cooperation areas, strengthen resource sharing and push the development of the blue economy", Wang added.

The establishment of a blue partnership between China and Portugal was the highlight of this year's event.

The State Oceanic Administration of China signed the Concept Paper on Blue Partnership and Joint Action Plan Framework with the Ministry of the Sea of Portugal on Friday, making Portugal the first country to officially launch a blue partnership with China.

"A sustainable ocean economy is important in promoting economic growth, to create jobs and investment and to generate wealth, but also to address some of the greatest societal challenges our planet faces today," said Ana Paula Vitorino, Portuguese minister of the sea.