Learning from Exchanging & Connecting through Opening

Organized: Ministry of Natural Resources, PRC

Shandong Provincial People's Government

Hosted: Qingdao Municipal People's Government

Executed: Qingdao West Coast New Area Administrative Committee

Overview of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum

East Asia is a major engine for the growth of the world's marine economy and plays an important role in the social-economic development in East Asia . In recent years, The ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Cooperation mechanism has been a major platform for cooperation in East Asia. During the period between October 2013 and November 2017, China's Premier Li Keqiang attended the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Summits of ASEAN Plus China, Japan and the ROK. Premier Li proposed on the 16th summit, "To promote cooperation in various fields, China will consider the establishment of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform (EAMCP)." Premier Li proposed on the 17th summit, "To promote regional connectivity, China is willing to provide 30 million Yuan to build the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform." He said on the 18th summit, "To upgrade the level of connectivity, China is accelerating the construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, which will promote maritime connectivity, cooperation in marine science and technology, training of professionals. China welcomes the participation of all relevant parties." On the 19th summit, he said, "China will continue to advance the building of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, and will see to it that the Seminar on APT Connectivity Partnership will be a success." He proposed at the 20th summit, "China will support the building of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, so as to facilitate cooperation in such areas as marine economy, environmental protection, disaster management and fishery".

In November 2013, China State Council designated the State Oceanic Administration, with the assistance of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and National Development and Reform Commission, to coordinate the construction of the EAMCP in Shandong Province. In July 2014, the EAMCP has been included on the list of priority projects of the Belt and Road Initiative. In January 2015, Guo Shuqing, Governor of Shandong Province put forward to speed up the construction of the EAMCP and create an international business environnent on China's Two Sessions, namely NPC and CPPCC. On February 22, 2018, Liu Jiayi, Secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee, said "we need to seize the opportunity offered by the fast growing global marine industry, strengthen connectivity between the land and sea, as well as China and other countries, increase the level of cooperation in marine industry so as to build up the EAMCP with all our strength" on the Mobilization Meeting on Overall Implementation of Replacing Old Growth Drivers with New Ones in Shandong Province. In 2018, as the construction of the EAMCP mechanism has been included into the outcome list of Premier Li Keqiang's attendance at East Asia Leaders Summits and visit to the Philippines, Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government attach great importance to this task and incorporate it into major project of replacing old growth drivers with new ones in Shandong Province.

The EAMCP boasts three major features. First, it's creative. The EAMCP is committed to promoting substantive international ocean-based cooperation among East Asia and ASEAN countries, and is an important pivot for maritime cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Second, it's iconic. The set-up of the EAMCP filled a gap in maritime dialogue and cooperation mechanism between China and ASEAN countries, as well as Japan and the ROK. It's a landmark project that puts the Belt and Road Initiative into practice. Third, it's permanent. Different to such International Conferences as APEC and Davos, which are held in turn among the participating countries and cities, the EAMCP set up a permanent site EAMCP in the Qingdao West Coast New Area.

The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum is organized by Ministry of Natural Resources and Shandong Provincial People's Government and hosted by Qingdao Municipal People's Government. The previous two sessions held in 2016 and 2018 respectively have been seen as a crucial carrier for integrating Qingdao City into the Belt and Road Initiative. It has served as an important platform for the exchanges and cooperation between Qingdao and East Asia in the fields of business, ports, marine engineering and marine culture, and provided practical power and intellectual support for building East Asian marine partnership, promoting marine economic development, increasing local openness and accelerating shift in driving forces.

The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum is an important part of the EAMCP. As a regularly-held activity, the Forum invites government officials, business leaders, experts and scholars at home and abroad as its guests, continuously increasing the visibility and influence of the EAMCP.