On September 22, 2020, East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum and 
Qingdao International Marine Week kicked off in Qingdao West Coast New Area. 
Experts, scholars and elites from various countries and regions around the 
world and international organizations gathered together online and offline to 
jointly promote the in-depth cooperation among different countries in the 
marine field.

The forum is hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Shandong 
Provincial People's Government, organized by Qingdao Municipal People's 
Government and Shandong Port Group, and executed by the Administrative 
Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area. It consists of seven segments 
including one main forum, four sub-forums (International High-end Form on Ocean 
Health, East Asia Marine Culture and Tourism Development Forum, East Asia 
Seaport Alliance Conference, and International Seaweed and Health Industry 
Forum), one contest (the final of Global Marine Intelligent Tech Innovation and 
Entrepreneurship Contest), and one expo (East Asia Marine Expo).

A number of heavyweight research reports were released at the forum, such as 
the East Asia Marine Cooperation Report (2020), the Report on Marine 
Environmental Protection and Governance of East Asian Nations, and the Culture 
and Tourism Development Index of East Asia Coastal Cities (2020), showing the 
way forward for the marine cooperation in East Asia. According to East Asia 
Marine Cooperation Report (2020), the marine cooperation in East Asia is facing 
new challenges at present, but the consensus and expectation of all parties to 
strengthen marine cooperation remain unchanged, as does the investment and 
support for marine cooperation and the huge space and opportunity for blue 
development.

Leveraging the international platform of East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform 
Qingdao Forum, Qingdao West Coast New Area has redoubled its efforts in talent 
attraction and investment promotion. Agreements on 24 key projects have been 
signed at the forum, among which 12 are key industrial projects with a total 
investment of RMB 45.1 billion, covering ten major industries such as marine 
high-end equipment, new generation information technology, new energy and new 
materials; and 12 projects led by high-level talents, involving more than 250 
talents in 7 emerging strategic fields such as high-end equipment 
manufacturing, new energy, new materials, Internet of Things, bio-medicine, 
energy conservation and environmental protection.

Centering around the theme of "Openness and Connectivity for a Smart Future", 
Hou Yunchun, former deputy director of Development Research Center of the State 
Council and president of China Enterprises Evaluation Association, and Xiang 
Songzuo, a famous macroeconomist and former chief economist of Agricultural 
Bank of China, as well as other well-known experts, scholars and entrepreneurs 
made keynote speeches respectively.

One segment of the forum - East Asia Marine Expo 2020 was opened and lasted 
until September 27. The expo adopted the new "offline + online" exhibition mode 
for the first time and set up six exhibition areas for international 
cooperation and strategic industry; marine engineering equipment and marine 
science and technology; new infrastructure and new industries; international 
consumer goods; supporting industry commodities; and fishery and aquatic 
products.

It is learned that the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform is a prioritized 
promotion project in the national Belt and Road construction plan and a key 
promotion project in Shandong's initiative to replace old growth drivers with 
new ones. Focusing on the construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation 
Platform, Qingdao West Coast New Area has hosted this forum for the fifth year 
running, attracting over 1,100 guests and more than 1,600 enterprises from 53 
countries and regions in total, and has gained a series of substantial 
cooperation achievements. At present, East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform 
Qingdao Forum has become an important vehicle for promoting in-depth 
cooperation between China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

Source: The Ministry of Natural Resources & Shandong Provincial People's 
Government