East Asian Seas Congress looks to boost development of blue economy

The East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress kicked off in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province on Wednesday, with international experts and officials gathering to share knowledge and practices on marine development.

Themed "Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean," the three-day event is hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, the Xiamen Municipal People's Government and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia(PEMSEA).

At the opening ceremony, China's Ministry of Natural Resources released the first National Ecological Protection and Restoration Bulletin, highlighting the environmental achievements that have been made in the country over the past 75 years.

One of the key topics at this year's EAS is the idea of the blue economy, which centers around the sustainable use of ocean resources to drive economic growth while preserving the marine ecosystem.

To boost trade and foster better conservation, nations and regions are actively exploring ways to partner with China on maritime projects. A representative from Antigua and Barbuda highlighted how China has helped in the Caribbean country's development through infrastructure development.

"The Chinese government has assisted us in building infrastructure projects within Antigua and Barbuda, to build ports and roads and that sort of thing, to help us in our national development, to facilitate trade. We already do some exports of food products to China, and we are hoping to expand greatly in that using the technology that we learn from these conferences and these relationships," said Athill Dean Jonas, former Minister of Social Transformation, Human Resource Development and Blue Economy of Antigua and Barbuda.

Participants also expressed their hope for advancing marine conservation efforts amid the challenges posed by climate change and other potentially harmful human activities.

An official from Tanzania's Zanzibar commended China's efforts in the sector.

"The blue economy is all about maritime trade and conservation. So I think the Chinese and Zanzibar government, they have to work together, especially in the conservation of our pristine small island in Zanzibar. I believe the Chinese have paved the way, so, we are in a position now to learn from the Chinese government and Chinese people on how they preserve their marine ecological system," said Hamad Bakar Hamad, Principal Secretary of Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries of Zanzibar.

The event, held every three years, will run till Friday.

East Asian Seas Congress looks to boost development of blue economy

East Asian Seas Congress looks to boost development of blue economy

China's consumption growth continues to show resilience, with millions of new restaurants opening last year, underscoring robust demand in the domestic catering sector, said Zhang Yichen, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Zhang, who is CEO of CITIC Capital and chairs the master franchise of McDonald's China, told China Global Television Network (CGTN) that 3.5 million new restaurants opened across the country last year, including about 1,000 new McDonald's outlets annually.

At this year's "two sessions," Zhang urged policymakers to introduce measures that would encourage dine-in consumption, linking the restaurant boom to broader efforts to sustain domestic demand.

"This is the amazing resilience of the Chinese economy and Chinese enterprises overall. It's that you have another 3.5 million restaurants, new restaurants, opened," he said.

Zhang believes the key challenge now is reviving in-person dining and shopping to sustain long-term consumption growth.

"In the short term we're actually gaining from that. But in the long run, I believe overall the industry will suffer and the economy will suffer. That's why I brought up the issue and I'm so glad that the government is clearly agreeing with my views. The fact that we're (McDonald's China) opening 1000 restaurants a year and the fact that there are new restaurants still doing very well, it's a clear indication there is consumption power, you just have to find them," he said.

The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's supreme organ of state power, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the CPPCC. Both bodies serve five-year terms and hold a plenary session each year.

The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC opened in Beijing on March 5 and March 4, respectively.

Zhang’s remarks underscore both the resilience of China's consumer market and the need for policies to secure sustained demand, a key focus of this year’s "two sessions."

CPPCC member seeks measures to boost dine-in consumption as China's demand stays resilient