Maritime industry making waves

Dalian, with a coastline extending 2,211 kilometers, has developed a comprehensive and competitive maritime system, local officials said.

They said the maritime economy has become a key impetus in the city's economic growth. GDP generated by maritime industries exceeded 113.5 billion yuan ($15.78 billion) in 2021, a year-on-year rise of 12.6 percent. The growth rate is 4.4 percentage points higher than that of Dalian's total GDP.

Foreign businesspeople have also benefited from the booming development of maritime industries. Stephane Gonnetand from France, for instance, founded yacht maker ODC Marine in Dalian.

He came to the city in 2004 and found that "people in Dalian are open-minded, inclusive and friendly to foreigners like me".

"I had lived here only for a few months and felt like it was home," Gonnetand said, adding that it was a feeling he had not had in other places, so he decided to settle.

Dalian has established an industry integrating shipbuilding, repair, and research and development. It has built three shipbuilding centers and five ancillary industrial parks.

The city houses three large shipbuilding enterprises and a number of small- and medium-sized ship makers. Dalian has supported key shipbuilding companies to use new-generation information technology, such as 5G and artificial intelligence, in production.

The city has also tapped into the potential of offshore aquaculture. Changhai county in Dalian, for instance, has advanced its aquaculture industry by promoting an intelligent breeding program. Based on an underwater visual monitoring system featuring a 5G connection, fishery workers can observe the growth of aquatic products on big screens in monitoring centers or on smartphones.

Marine cultural tourism and offshore power generation are other highlights of Dalian's maritime economy. It offers travelers 10 sorts of sea-related tour options, including coastal camping with recreational vehicles and professional sea fishing.

The city built the largest offshore wind farm in northern China in 2021.

It is expected to generate 1.73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to the local grid, which can meet the demand of more than 1.44 million households.