(ECNS) -- China's marine economy topped 11 trillion yuan (about $1.65 trillion) in 2025, accounting for 7.9% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), according to a government report released Thursday.
The 2026 Report on China's Marine Economy, jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Natural Resources, described the sector as an important driver of the national economy and reviewed its development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
During that period, China accelerated development of a modern marine industrial system, and its newly installed offshore wind power capacity and grid-connected capacity both ranked first in the world, the report said.
China's daily seawater desalination capacity exceeded 3 million metric tons, and domestically developed marine drugs accounted for 28% of the global total, according to the report.
China also made progress in marine science and technology. The manned submersibles Jiaolong and Fendouzhe completed the country's first deep-sea dives in ice-covered Arctic waters, while the Mazu series of marine forecasting and warning models entered operational use.
Meng Qinglei, an official with the Ministry of Natural Resources, said China had kept more than 35% of its mainland coastline in its natural state and imposed strict controls on land reclamation from the sea.
China approved the use of 13,200 square kilometers (about 5,100 square miles) of sea areas and islands, Meng said.
The report said marine environmental quality improved significantly and efforts to protect marine ecosystems continued to advance.
China designated 151,000 square kilometers (about 58,000 square miles) as marine ecological conservation "redlines" and established 352 marine-related protected areas. It also set up a national nature reserve at Huangyan Island and advanced efforts to win World Heritage status for migratory bird sanctuaries along the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea coasts.
（By Zhang Dongfang）
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