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As the world's oceans are an integral whole, the research, development
and protection of the oceans require common efforts by all countries
in the world. As an important developing country, China is well
aware of its responsibilities and obligations concerning international
maritime affairs. China has consistently insisted that the ocean
be peacefully utilized, and jointly developed and protected, and
disputes over maritime matters be settled in a fair manner. China
has always taken an active part in international and regional maritime
affairs, promoted cooperation and exchanges in this field, conscientiously
fulfilled its duties and contributed its share to international
development of the oceans.
China has always supported and actively participated in the various
forms of marine-related activities promoted by the United Nations.
China has joined nearly 20 international organizations, including
the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO/IOC),
Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), Commission on Maritime
Meteorology (CMM), International Maritime Organization (IMO), UN
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), North Pacific Marine Science
Organization (PICES), and Pacific Conference on Science and Technology
(PACON). China has also engaged extensively in cooperation and exchanges
in maritime affairs with scores of countries in the world.
In addition, China has attended all the sessions of the Third Conference
on the Law of the Sea of the United Nations (UNCLOS) and joined
the formulation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea, thus becoming a contracting party to the latter. It has also
attended the meetings of the preparatory committees on the International
Seabed Authority (ISA) and the International Tribunal on the Law
of the Sea. China took part in the establishment of the ISA and
was elected as one of its first B-level council member states. As
one of the first investors in international seabed development,
China has put large amounts of capital, technology and qualified
personnel into seabed exploration, which has not only safeguarded
China's rights and interests in the international seabed but it
also constitutes a contribution to man's endeavors to exploit marine
resources. Moreover, a Chinese scientist was elected as one of the
first judges of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea,
playing a positive role in international marine affairs.
China sets store by the protection and management of the high seas
and their resources. From 1993 to 1995, China participated in the
formulation of the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions
of the December 10, 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling
Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. China has successively
engaged in negotiations with Russia, the United States and Japan
on the development and protection of the fisheries resources of
the Bering Sea, and signed and ratified the Convention on the Conservation
and Management of Pollack Resources in the Central Bering Sea. In
order to protect fisheries resources on the high seas, China has
taken part in international activities to protect tunas, whales
and other endangered species of marine life, acceded to the International
Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and participated
in the formulation of the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International
Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High
Seas.
Oceans being a main artery across the world, international cooperation
in sea transportation is of great importance for promoting the interflow
of commodities and economic development globalwide. As a member
of the IMO China has signed bilateral maritime transportation agreements
with 51 countries, making positive efforts to promote international
cooperation and exchanges in maritime transportation. At the 16th
to 20th sessions of the IMO, China was successively elected as an
A-level council member state. China has also acceded to the 30-some
conventions formulated by the IMO, such as the 1965 Convention on
Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1990 International
Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation,
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, As Amended, 1974 International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, International Convention
for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by
the protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL, or 73/78 Convention
on Pollution Convention), Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage
of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea, 1974, and International
Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law with Respect
to Collision Between Vessels.
China has also taken part in global oceanographic activities, including
the GSMMP (global studies and monitoring of marine pollution), the
TOGA (tropical ocean and global atmospheric project), the WOCE (world
ocean circulation experiment), the JGOFS (joint global ocean flux
study), the LOICE (land-ocean interaction in the coastal zone),
and the GLOBEC (global ocean ecosystem dynamics), making positive
efforts to promote worldwide oceanographic cooperation. From 1985
to 1990, China sent three ships and more than 300 scientific workers
to conduct the coupled ocean and atmospheric response experiment
in the tropical Western Pacific (COARE). Large amounts of scientific
data were obtained, providing important materials for understanding
the influence of that kind of response in the Western Pacific's
``Warm Pool'' on global climate changes, for improving global ocean
and climate forecast modes and studying the El Nino Phenomena. China
joined the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) and
the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific of the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission in 1990 and 1992, respectively. China also
joined the Working Group on Marine Resources Conservation of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Conference and other regional organizations,
as well as the Global Ocean Observation System (GOOS) initiated
by the UNESCO/IOC and other international organizations, and helped
to initiate and organize the Northeast Asia Ocean Observation System.
Since the 1980s, China has engaged in extensive scientific cooperation
in marine projects with dozens of countries, including the United
States, Germany, France, Canada, Spain, Russia, the DPRK, the ROK
and Japan, resulting in fruitful achievements in projects concerning
the deltas of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, Kuroshio, air-sea interaction,
and the bio-diversity of Hainan Island. During the Kuroshio survey,
jointly conducted by China and Japan from 1986 to 1992, more than
100 field operations were carried out, and meetings of over 20 scientists
were arranged, which helped to accumulate a rich store of information
for understanding the movement of Kuroshio, its regular pattern
of changes and its origin, as well as the resources variations in
the fishing grounds of the Western Pacific.
China has made strenuous efforts to foster cooperation in regional
marine fisheries on the principles of equality and mutual benefit.
Under the Agreement of Fisheries Between the Government of the People's
Republic of China and the Government of Japan in 1975, China and
Japan arranged for the development and protection of their fisheries
resources every year through negotiations. In 1997, China and Japan
signed a new agreement on fisheries, laying the foundation for long-term
cooperation between the two countries in this regard. China has
held talks with the ROK, the Philippines and other neighboring countries
on the development and protection of fishery resources in the surrounding
sea areas.
China is also committed to helping developing countries train people
for marine development and comprehensive management work, and has
hosted many international maritime conferences. In 1987, the training
course on ocean management of the International Ocean Institute
was offered for the first time in Beijing. In October 1994, the
China Center of the International Ocean Institute was set up. So
far, it has held three training seminars for over 50 people from
19 developing countries, majoring in marine development. In 1996,
the Pacem in Maribus XXIV Conference was held in China, at which
positive results were attained and a Beijing Declaration was announced.
While making great efforts for the development and protection of
the ocean, China is clearly aware of the fact that, as a developing
country with inadequate level of development and limited economic
strength, China has lagged behind some of the developed countries
in this regard. The marine scientific and technological level in
China is relatively low, the equipment used in marine development
is backward and many development areas are still in rough shape.
Especially, the increasing population and rapid economic growth
in the coastal areas in recent years have put great pressure on
the marine environmental protection and hampered the rational development
of marine resources. China has put the issue of rational utilization
and protection of marine resources and the marine environment into
the overall, cross-century plans for national economic and social
development, and has adopted the sustainable development of marine
programs as a basic strategy. With the continuing growth of the
forces of social production, the further building-up of comprehensive
national strength and the gradual awakening of the people's consciousness
of the importance of marine protection, China's marine programs
will definitely enjoy still greater development. Together with other
countries and international organizations concerned, China will,
as always, play its part in bringing mankind's work for marine development
and protection onto the road of sustainable development.
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