AsiaNet 86093

QINGDAO, China, Oct. 14, 2020 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

On September 22, 2020, East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum and

Qingdao International Marine Week kicked off in Qingdao West Coast New Area.

Experts, scholars and elites from various countries and regions around the

world and international organizations gathered together online and offline to

jointly promote the in-depth cooperation among different countries in the

marine field.

The forum is hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Shandong

Provincial People's Government, organized by Qingdao Municipal People's

Government and Shandong Port Group, and executed by the Administrative

Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area. It consists of seven segments

including one main forum, four sub-forums (International High-end Form on Ocean

Health, East Asia Marine Culture and Tourism Development Forum, East Asia

Seaport Alliance Conference, and International Seaweed and Health Industry

Forum), one contest (the final of Global Marine Intelligent Tech Innovation and

Entrepreneurship Contest), and one expo (East Asia Marine Expo).

A number of heavyweight research reports were released at the forum, such as

the East Asia Marine Cooperation Report (2020), the Report on Marine

Environmental Protection and Governance of East Asian Nations, and the Culture

and Tourism Development Index of East Asia Coastal Cities (2020), showing the

way forward for the marine cooperation in East Asia. According to East Asia

Marine Cooperation Report (2020), the marine cooperation in East Asia is facing

new challenges at present, but the consensus and expectation of all parties to

strengthen marine cooperation remain unchanged, as does the investment and

support for marine cooperation and the huge space and opportunity for blue

development.

Leveraging the international platform of East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform

Qingdao Forum, Qingdao West Coast New Area has redoubled its efforts in talent

attraction and investment promotion. Agreements on 24 key projects have been

signed at the forum, among which 12 are key industrial projects with a total

investment of RMB 45.1 billion, covering ten major industries such as marine

high-end equipment, new generation information technology, new energy and new

materials; and 12 projects led by high-level talents, involving more than 250

talents in 7 emerging strategic fields such as high-end equipment

manufacturing, new energy, new materials, Internet of Things, bio-medicine,

energy conservation and environmental protection.

Centering around the theme of "Openness and Connectivity for a Smart Future",

Hou Yunchun, former deputy director of Development Research Center of the State

Council and president of China Enterprises Evaluation Association, and Xiang

Songzuo, a famous macroeconomist and former chief economist of Agricultural

Bank of China, as well as other well-known experts, scholars and entrepreneurs

made keynote speeches respectively.

One segment of the forum - East Asia Marine Expo 2020 was opened and lasted

until September 27. The expo adopted the new "offline + online" exhibition mode

for the first time and set up six exhibition areas for international

cooperation and strategic industry; marine engineering equipment and marine

science and technology; new infrastructure and new industries; international

consumer goods; supporting industry commodities; and fishery and aquatic

products.

It is learned that the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform is a prioritized

promotion project in the national Belt and Road construction plan and a key

promotion project in Shandong's initiative to replace old growth drivers with

new ones. Focusing on the construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation

Platform, Qingdao West Coast New Area has hosted this forum for the fifth year

running, attracting over 1,100 guests and more than 1,600 enterprises from 53

countries and regions in total, and has gained a series of substantial

cooperation achievements. At present, East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform

Qingdao Forum has become an important vehicle for promoting in-depth

cooperation between China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

Source: The Ministry of Natural Resources & Shandong Provincial People's

Government