Explainer | Why Xi Jinping sees China’s marine economy as a national priority
Beijing eyes ocean-driven growth, as Chinese leader pledges more support for offshore sectors like wind power, shipping and marine biotech
President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to advance the “high-quality development” of China’s marine economy, highlighting its growing strategic importance during a high-level economic meeting on Tuesday. He also called for stronger policy support to accelerate the sector’s growth.
In this explainer, the Post examines why the marine economy matters to the country's overall economic strategy, where government policy is heading, and which sectors stand to benefit.
Why does the marine economy matter to China?
China’s marine gross domestic product exceeded 10 trillion yuan for the first time in 2024, accounting for 7.8 per cent of national GDP – a milestone the government called “a truly remarkable achievement”.
The progress came after decades of investment in marine industries, which are now entering a pre-boom phase, said Hu Zhenyu, a senior research fellow at the China Development Institute, a think tank based in Shenzhen.