China's Marine Conservation Efforts: A Model for Sustainable Development

Strategic Insights -

China has a long history of embracing the wisdom of coexisting with and protecting waters, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.). Today, this wisdom echoes with China's modern approaches to marine conservation and sustainable development. Initiatives such as the summer fishing moratorium in the East China Sea, the construction of marine protected areas, and advancements in deep-sea technology are committed to safeguarding our blue planet. The Department of Land Space Ecological Restoration under the Ministry of Natural Resources unveiled its 2025 case studies of marine ecological conservation and restoration, featuring 15 selected cases that cover diverse marine ecosystems, including estuaries, bays, and islands.

Key Takeaways:

  • China's marine ecological environment has seen overall improvement, with enhanced functionality in regional marine ecosystems and notable progress in biodiversity conservation.
  • The 15 selected cases cover diverse marine ecosystems, including estuaries, bays, and islands, with a focus on critical habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and salt marshes.
  • The Haitan Island project in Pingtan County, Fujian, restored 125 km of coastline and planted approximately 500 hectares of coastal shelterbelts between 2013 and 2023, reducing annual storm surge damage by 37 percent.
  • The Caofeidian Seagrass Bed Ecological Conservation and Restoration Project in Hebei has been selected as one of the model cases, with a seagrass bed covering 4,427 hectares, currently the largest of its kind in China.
  • China's marine economy has maintained a positive growth, with the gross ocean product reaching 2.5 trillion yuan ($350 billion) in the first quarter, a 5.7-percent increase compared with the same period last year.
  • The Livelihood Protection and Improvement Index, which assesses the developmental level of marine livelihood improvements, reached 125.7, a 1.9-percent year-on-year increase.
  • China's coastal regions reported over 14 percent growth in domestic tourist arrivals, with the numbers reflecting how policy support and rebounding consumer demand are synergistically upgrading coastal recreational infrastructure and energizing marine tourism.
  • The newly amended law on marine environment protection, which took effect on January 1, 2024, strengthens mechanisms in areas like marine ecological protection, ecological compensation, and pollution control.

Statistics:

  • China's marine ecosystem experienced a 37% reduction in annual storm surge damage in Pingtan County between 2013 and 2023.
  • The added value of emerging marine industries grew by 7.2% year on year, accounting for an increasingly large share of the marine economy.
  • China's marine economy surpassed 10 trillion yuan ($1.39 trillion) for the first time in 2024.
  • The gross ocean product reached 2.5 trillion yuan ($350 billion) in the first quarter of 2024, a 5.7% increase compared with the same period last year.
  • The Livelihood Protection and Improvement Index reached 125.7, a 1.9% year-on-year increase.
  • Coastal cities reported over 14% growth in domestic tourist arrivals.

Sources:

  • China Media Group (2024) "Interview with Cao Ke, Deputy Director of the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment"
  • Fujian's 2023 white paper "Pingtan's coastal restoration measures"
  • Ministry of Natural Resources (2025) "2025 China Ocean Economy Development Index"
  • Hebei's technical framework for seagrass bed rehabilitation
  • China News Service (2024) "Interview with Chen Guangcheng, Director of the Key Laboratory of Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration"
  • Royal Caribbean International (2024) "Xinhua News Agency interview"
  • Xinhua News Agency (2024) "China's coastal regions making progress in both economic vitality and public services enhancements"