Xing Huina:

Thank you, Mr. Sun. Now, let's invite Ms. Guo to give us an introduction.

Guo Fang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning! It is my great pleasure to be here with you today. On behalf of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all our friends from various walks of life. Your long-standing concern and support for China's efforts in protecting the marine eco-environment have been truly appreciated.

As Mr. Sun mentioned, General Secretary Xi Jinping has shown the utmost support and placed high hopes on the building of a marine eco-civilization and the protection of the marine eco-environment. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has made unprecedented transformations in marine eco-environmental protection. Our main efforts have been focused on the following four areas:

We have adopted a systemic approach and deepened the reform of land-sea coordinated institutions and mechanisms. China is working on a protection and governance framework that ranges from mountain tops to the ocean, and the reform of marine management and governance has been steadily advancing. In the 2018 reform of State Council institutions, the responsibilities of marine environmental protection were incorporated into those of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Additionally, supervisory agencies were established to monitor the marine eco-environment in three river basins and sea areas. By taking these steps, we have prioritized both ecology and environment and integrated the management of land and marine resources. As a result, a comprehensive governance system featuring land-sea coordination and river-sea connectivity has taken shape. This system facilitates coordination among different departments and improves cooperation among various regions.

We have put people first and made remarkable achievements in the efforts to build beautiful bays. China is committed to pursuing environmental benefits for the public and has designed and implemented the 14th Five-Year Plan for Marine Ecological and Environmental Protection and the Optimized Action Plan for Building Beautiful Bays. Our focus is on key programs, such as building over 110 beautiful bays and intensifying our endeavors to clean up marine waste at 65 bays, promoting the recycling of marine plastic waste.

Today, I have also brought a small item for all my journalist friends. This beautiful scarf is actually made from three recycled plastic bottles, which were collected during a volunteer beach cleanup activity in Nansha district, Guangzhou city. We are working diligently to transform all 283 bays nationwide into beautiful ones by 2035. Our goal is to materialize the amazing view depicted in the picture: clear seawater, clean beaches, desirable habitats for fish and seabirds, and harmony between humans and the sea.

We have made efforts to address key points and problems, resulting in the continuous improvement of the eco-environment in coastal waters. China has prioritized key sea areas located at strategic convergence points along its coast, such as the Bohai Sea, the Yangtze River Estuary-Hangzhou Bay, and the Pearl River Estuary. By adopting targeted governance policies, China has made remarkable achievements in improving eco-environment quality in these regions. Statistics show that in 2023, 85% of the coastal waters had good to excellent water quality, an increase of 13.7 percentage points from 2018. This improvement has been consistent for six consecutive years. Moreover, since 2021, 24 typical marine ecosystems have shed their "unhealthy" status.

We are committed to governing the sea according to the law, continuously strengthening the supervision and enforcement of marine ecological protection. China protects its waters with the strictest systems and the most stringent legal measures. The Marine Environment Protection Law has been amended three times and revised once. We have also formulated and revised seven administrative regulations and over 10 departmental rules, creating a solid legal framework. We always adhere to strict supervision and law enforcement, investigating more than 53,000 sewage outlets to the sea and rectifying over 16,000. We continuously conduct special supervision and law enforcement actions like the "Green Shield" and "Blue Sea" initiatives. We have implemented three rounds of central government environmental protection inspections, identifying and addressing more than 200 prominent marine-related issues.

After persistent efforts, everyone can feel that the seawater has become clearer in recent years, the beaches are cleaner, seabird populations have increased, and the coastal wetlands are more beautiful. The continuous improvement of the marine ecological environment is a vivid portrayal and powerful proof of the historic, pivotal and all-encompassing changes in China's ecological and environmental protection. Next, we will continue to promote the comprehensive management of key marine areas, fully advance the development of beautiful bays, and consistently meet the public's desire to enjoy and connect with the sea.

As the poem says, "True friendship knows no boundaries; even those thousands of miles apart can be close neighbors." With this in mind, I sincerely invite friends from home and abroad to visit China's various coastal regions. Come and experience firsthand the excellent environment, beautiful ecology, and effective governance of China's bays. We are also eager to exchange ideas with other nations, learn from each other, and cooperate pragmatically to jointly promote the development of a maritime community with a shared future and to keep our blue planet perpetually pristine.

That's all I have to share for now. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Thank you, Mr. Guo, for the introduction. We will now proceed to the Q&A session. Members of the media are welcome to ask questions. Please identify your news organization before asking your questions.