The State Development Planning Commission and State Oceanography Bureau recently convened the National Marine Economy Development Planning Meeting in Beijing to formally launch the editing work of China's first "National Marine Economy Development Plan".
Sources say striving for a growth of China's marine economy will be a thematic matter to run through the plan. The emphasis will be on a rational distribution and harmonious development of the marine industry, a feature marine economy in coastlands, a rising marine economic market, and rejuvenating the marine economy through science and technology, so as to ensure a sustained development of the marine economy.
The plan mainly concerns: the foundation of the development of marine economy; guiding ideology, basic principles and strategic target; regional distribution, development and structural adjustment of the marine industry; supporting conditions; key projects; major measures to implement the plan, etc.
Since China launched reform and opening up, it has seen a rapid growth in its marine economy. Its marine industry had come to experience a surge from 22.7 billion yuan in 1986 to 400 billion yuan in 2000. However, due to the lack of a macroscopic and comprehensive development plan, there have occurred some problems such as imbalanced regional development and idle exploitation along with over-exploitation. To map out the plan for development of marine economy will provide an important guarantee for a harmonious development of the maritime industry, meeting the demand of the new century and the new situation.
The first draft of the Plan is reported to be out by the end of October.
(People's Daily 08/07/2001)
