Advancing China's Sustainable Blue Economy 2025

101.2 China’s need for a sustainable blue economy and ambitions to develop one China’s gross ocean product has grown significantly, from RMB 5 trillion (~$794 billion) in 2012 to RMB 10 trillion (~$1.39 trillion)19 or 8% of national GDP in 2024, reflecting the integration of marine economic activities into the broader socio-economic development of the country. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF)’s analysis in the “Reviving China’s Ocean Economy 2022: Empower Sustainable Development” report, the asset value of China’s ocean economy is estimated at around RMB 54 trillion (~$7.34 trillion)20. The country’s marine economic sectors, such as coastal tourism, marine transportation, marine fisheries and seafood processing, marine chemical industry, offshore oil and gas industry, and marine engineering construction industry, are pivotal to the national economy, accounting for approximately 37.4% of gross ocean product and 2.9% of China’s GDP. Yet the country’s coastal communities and economies are increasingly threatened by climate change, with coastal waters warming at a rate of 0.25°C per decade from 1980-2019 and sea levels rising by 3.4mm annually, both surpassing global averages21. These changes heighten the vulnerability of coastal regions to ecological disasters, such as exacerbating red tides and marine dead zones, as well as intense typhoons and storm surges. The diminished resilience of coastal communities and the natural environment pose substantial risks to China’s most economically active and rapidly urbanizing coastal regions22. For example, Typhoon Fitow in 2013 resulted in an economic loss of RMB 44.9 billion (~$7.3 billion, by CCICED estimate) and impacted approximately 6.66 million people23. Marine heatwaves and ocean acidification present substantial 19 CCICED’s conversions for this report were calculated using the average U.S. Treasury Reporting Rates for each year cited. 20 World Wide Fund For Nature Beijing Representative Office, Reviving China’s Ocean Economy 2022: Empower Sustainable Development , 2022, https:/ /webadmin.wwfchina.org/storage/ files/Reviving_China’s_Ocean_Economy_2022_EN.pdf . 21 中华人民共和国自然资源部海洋预警监测司, 2019年中国海平面公报, 2020, https:/ /m.mnr.gov.cn/sj/sjfw/hy/gbgg/zghpmgb/202004/t20200430_2510978.html . 22 中华人民共和国自然资源部海洋预警监测司, 2019年中国海洋灾害公报, 2020, http:/ /gi.mnr.gov.cn/202004/t20200430_2510979.html . 23 中华人民共和国国家海洋局, 2013年中国海平面公报, 2014, http:/ /gc.mnr.gov.cn/201806/t20180619_1798294.html . 24 It is an initiative aimed at creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly nation, first announced in 2012. “Embracing Sustainability: How Businesses Can Contribute to the ‘Beautiful China’ Initiative”, China Briefing, 2024, https:/ /www.china-briefing.com/news/embracing-sustainability-how-businesses-can-contribute-to-the-beautiful-china-initiative/ . 25 习近平, 2020, “推动构建海洋命运共同体（2019年4月23日）”, 《习近平谈治国理政》（第三卷） , 第463-464页. 26 “Xi stresses building Beautiful China, advancing modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature”, Xinhua, 2023, https:/ /english.news.cn/20230718/7e5550fd24aa4d - 5993dccca2bb9f9810/c.html . 27 Pan, W., Wang, J., Lu, Z., 2021, “High-quality development in China: Measurement system, spatial pattern, and improvement paths”, Habitat International, 118, 102458. 28 National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-range Objectives through the Year 2035 of the People’s Republic of China, 2021, https:/ /en.ndrc.gov.cn/policies/202203/P020220315511326748336.pdf .threats to marine biodiversity and fisheries, potentially leading to severe consequences for China’s large-scale shellfish farming industry, which is critical for ensuring food security and livelihood for low-income households. Despite significant progress in marine ecological civilization and technological innovation, China’s ocean economy faces numerous challenges, including declining coastal resource capacity, environmental degradation, pollution, frequent ecological disasters, increased food and livelihood demands and a lack of innovation in the marine industry. As China addresses the challenges of sustainably managing ocean spaces and resources, its leaders have prioritized the development and conservation of marine resources. They see sustainable development as essential to building a strong maritime nation and achieving a “beautiful China24.” Chinese President Xi Jinping has underscored the importance of developing a robust marine economy to support China’s establishment as a strong maritime nation, and has advocated for the development of world-class ports, a modern marine industrial system and a sustainable marine ecosystem. Emphasizing marine conservation, Xi has called for caring for the ocean as much as for life itself25. At the National Conference on Ecological Environmental Protection in July 2023, Xi highlighted the need for “a bigger picture of ecological protection from the mountaintop to the ocean26.” These priorities are transitioning China toward “high-quality development,” which scholars define as an efficient, fair and sustainable development that stimulates society’s creativity and vitality as a whole27. China’s 14th FYP for Economic and Social Development, which outlines policy objectives from 2021-2025, dedicates a chapter to the “development of the marine economy”28. This reflects the country’s commitment to sustainable ocean development and ambition of establishing itself as a maritime power in the new era. Figure 1. China’s marine economic growth demonstrated by the increasing trend of gross ocean product from 2012 to 2024. Source of data: China Marine Economic Statistics Bulletins in 2012 - 2024Development of China’s marine economy