The State Development and Reform Commission and the State
Oceanic Administration will jointly establish a special office to
promote a national campaign aimed at developing the country's
marine economy.
This is a solid step to fulfilling China's ambitious goal of
emerging as a major marine economic power by 2010, Wang Hong, head
of the general office of the administration, said yesterday at a
press conference.
By that time, Wang stated, over 5 percent of the country's GDP
is expected to come from the added value of the marine sector.
The administration yesterday published the first annual Bulletin
of Marine Economic Statistics of China. It states that the
country's added value of marine industries accounted for 3.8
percent of GDP in 2003.
This office is a result of a decision by the two authorities
late last year that requires provincial governments to develop
marine activity programs in line with national goals. The national
office is the first of its kind in the country's history.
No schedule has been set for its establishment, but since
provincial plans are due by next year it will likely be set up
later this year, said a source with the National Marine Programming
Office under the administration.
The National Marine Programming Office is responsible for
overseeing provincial programs until the office is established.
There are 13 major marine industries in China, including oceanic
fishery, seaside tourism, oceanic transport, oceanic oil and gas
exploitation, sea sands exploitation, shipping, oceanic engineering
and oceanic biomedicine.
Marine industries have been assuming an increasingly important
position in the Chinese economy. The State Oceanic Administration
reports that the total marine output value of the country reached
1.7 trillion yuan (US$205.3 billion) between 1996 and 2000, 2.5
times the output from the previous five-year period.
Last year, the output of marine industries reached 1.0 trillion
yuan (US$121.7 billion).
Against this backdrop, the central government has made an
exception to its government streamlining policy and given the green
light to increase staff at the administration.
Cheng Changsheng, an official with the State Commission Office
on Public Sector Reform, confirmed the administration will have a
new department this year for marine development.
Xu Qiwang, a leading expert with the State Marine Information
Center, rated the current status of the Chinese marine economy as
"in the world's middle stream."
The United Nations reports the world average proportion of
marine added value in GDP at around 4 percent.
This proportion in China is expected to hit 4 percent next
year.
Xu believes China's marine economy will maintain its strong
growth in the next 10 years or so, which should provide a larger
stage for various investors.
"The fast development of our marine economy needs the injection of
more investment. New provincial programs are expected to provide
more encouraging policies," said the source with the National
Marine Programming Office.
Paul Lam, a representative of a US investment company that has a
successful joint venture diving project in Zhuhai, Guangdong
Province, says he is optimistic about China's marine economy if the
government continues to encourage the industry.
His company plans to increase its cautious initial investment of
US$400,000 to a "real big one" in the near future, he said.
The total marine output value of the Pearl Delta, where Zhuhai
is located, was 211.2 billion yuan (US$25.5 billion) last year,
ranking third among China's three major marine economic
regions.
The marine output values for the other two--the region bordering
the Bohai Sea and the Yangtze River Delta--were 277.8 billion yuan
(US$33.6 billion) and 339.9 billion yuan (US$41.1 billion),
respectively.
Oceanic fishery continues to take the lead among all marine
industries in China, reporting an output value of 282.2 billion
yuan (US$34.1 billion) in 2003.
(China Daily February 20, 2004)
