World Ocean Week kicks off

Forums and festivals

According to the event's organizers, major activities for regional cooperation will also include the China-ASEAN Conference on Fisheries Cooperation in the South China Sea and the Marine Disaster Prevention and Reduction Forum, both on Saturday.

In addition to China-ASEAN cooperation, there are also several forums and meetings for multilateral cooperation in the maritime fields.

Another focus at the event is the Regional Workshop on Catalyzing Blue Economy Investment in East Asia on Saturday, sponsored by the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia organization and co-organized by the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development.

As a network for local governments, PNLG has 45 members and has set its secretariat in Xiamen since 2006.

The workshop aims to highlight investment opportunities in blue economy in the region and help establish connections among financers, investors and project proponents with investment proposals.

Also on Saturday, the 2016 South-South Cooperation Ocean Forum will take place, with delegates from a number of developing countries discussing matters relating to marine economic development.

Cultural and tourist activities are also planned for Ocean Week, including a kite festival, concerts and various tours.

A hub city

The host city of Xiamen is one of the hub cities along the Maritime Silk Road. Its maritime industry, which includes sectors such as port transportation and logistics, maritime tourism, fishing and aquaculture, and exploration of other marine resources, is regarded as the most important pillar of Xiamen's economy.

The total value of Xiamen's maritime industry in 2015 hit 189.06 billion yuan ($27.89 billion), 8 percent growth from the previous year, according to the city's statistics bureau.

The added value - or gross profit - of the industry was 49.82 billion yuan last year, representing 11.2 percent growth year-on-year and equivalent to 14.4 percent of the city's total GDP.

To boost the sectors' development, the city government has outlined plans to integrate the harbor, tourism, fishing and other marine resources to form a complete industrial chain and make it one of the fundamental powers in Xiamen's overall economy, according to the Xiamen Ocean and Fishery Bureau.

To support the maritime industry's development, Xiamen is also placing emphasis on upgrading a public technology service platform in this area, said the bureau.

It added that the Southern Oceanic Innovation Base that opened in April last year offers support to new, innovative enterprises in the industry. It shares information based on oceanic surveys conducted by Xiamen University and Jimei University, as well as other marine research institutions.