On June 22-23, 2022, the 2022 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum themed on “Embrace the Ocean Decade for a Shared Future” will be held at Qingdao World Expo City. The Forum, sponsored by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the People’s Government of Shandong Province, undertaken by the International Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Qingdao Municipal People’s Government, and executed by the Administrative Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area, generally consists of 10 major events, including the Opening Ceremony & Main Forum, Seven Sub-Forums, Global Marine Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Contest (Final) and East Asia Marine Expo.
On the afternoon of 17 June, the Press Conference of 2022 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum was held in Jinan, at which, Shandong Provincial Government released the relevant information of the Forum and East Asia Marine Expo.
Zhang Jiandong, Director of Shandong Oceanic Administration, released the information of the 2022 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum.
The Forum invited nearly 400 guests (including marine experts, economists, artists and entrepreneurs from China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, Europe and the United States and other countries and regions) to attend the Opening Ceremony in an “online + offline” manner, so as to jointly deepen the exchanges and cooperation among various countries and regions in the fields of marine economy, science and technology, culture and environmental protection.
The Forum will focus on the seven visions of the “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” and express the achievements of maritime cooperation and exchanges from an international perspective. As reported, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the United Nations “Decade of Ocean” Oceans and Climate Cooperation Center have been formally approved by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and planned to be launched in Qingdao, which will be released to the world during the Qingdao Forum. At the same time, a number of public service achievements will also be released, including the Modern Ocean City Research Report, Report on Cultural and Tourism Development Index of Maritime Cities in East Asia, Container Port Performance Index in East Asia (2021), China, Japan and South Korea Trade Index, and FTSE Xinhua A50 of Qingdao, so as to establish the “barometer” and “wind vane” for international maritime cooperation; in addition, the International Marine Chamber of Commerce Association Alliance, as another practical outcome of the construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, will hold the opening ceremony during the Forum, and its Secretariat will be established in Qingdao West Coast New Area, which will play an important role in facilitating the in-depth complementary cooperation among Qingdao, Japan and South Korea, as well as other countries (regions) along the Belt and Road.
The Forum is an international conference hosted by Shandong Provincial Government under the impact of COVID-19, which, with high levels of attending guests, rich contents of the activities, abundant achievements, online + offline pattern, and innovative mode of investment promotion, will be of great significance to enhance the international influence of the Qingdao Forum.
Qingdao Forum: Higher Internationalization and Specialization, with 10 Major Events
Interview of Wang Xiaozhi, Deputy Secretary General of Qingdao Municipal People’s Government
Under the background of epidemic prevention and control, Qingdao Forum has overcome the adverse impact of COVID-19, and invited the officials of international organizations, representatives of foreign diplomats in China, well-known experts in domestic and foreign academic circles, and representatives of well-known enterprises (associations) at home and abroad through various channels. Wang Xiaozhi, Deputy Secretary General of Qingdao Municipal People’s Government introduced that “At present, we have invited Zhang Weiwei, Dean of The Institute of China Studies, Fudan University, and Director of the Research Center for China Development Model; and Fan Gang, Vice President of China Society of Economic System Reform and Head of China Development Institute, to make keynote speeches. Eight Chinese and foreign academicians have confirmed their attendance, and a number of heads of international marine organizations and well-known experts have videoed their reports and congratulatory speeches.”
Compared with the previous forums, the Qingdao Forum this time consists of more sub-forums, covering various fields such as marine industry, ecology, culture and tourism, and science and technology, and introducing new sub-forums of the Decade of Ocean and International Forum of Marine Environmental Governance, China Ocean Engineering Science and Technology Innovation Forum, Marine Processes and Resources & Environment Forum, and International Forum of Blue Economy Entrepreneurs & Young Scientist Forum.
Exhibition and Competition: Three “Initial” Innovative Exhibitions, Attracting Talents through Competitions
Site of 2020 East Asia Marine Expo (Photos)
The 2022 East Asia Marine Expo will be more novel with the “online + offline” pattern. There will be six offline pavilions, covering the total exhibition area of 60,000 square meters. The initially adopted “one-to-one” customized invitation will assign an exclusive customer service staff for each exhibitor; the brand promotion with marine characteristics will be carried out for the first time, and the Deep-sea Aquaculture Equipment Industry Development Forum will be held; the Market-Based Marine Emergency and Rescue Industry Exhibition will be held for the first time, disaster simulation experience activities will be arranged, and the Gold Award for Technical Innovation will be set up.
Interview of Ren Xielong, Deputy Director of The Administrative Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area
Ren Xielong, Deputy Director of The Administrative Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area introduced that “Smart Use of Ocean and Smart Future of Qingdao” 2022 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum Global Marine Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Contest (Final) would be held on 22 June, and the talents winning the second prize or above and working in Qingdao Area of Shandong Free Trade Zone would be included in the Qingdao Entrepreneurship and Innovation Leading Talents Program. The award-winning projects successfully implemented in Qingdao West Coast New Area within one year will enjoy the services such as financial matchmaking, incubation, market resource introduction, policy interpretation, project declaration and guidance.
“Smart Use of Ocean and Smart Future of Qingdao” Global Marine Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Contest (Photos)
Xie Longmu stated that “Through the holding of the competition, we will attract more high-level marine talents and excellent innovation and entrepreneurship projects to Qingdao for development, so as to provide talent and project support for building a perfect modern marine industrial system, and promoting the construction of a leading modern marine city.”
East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform: Entity Construction is Being Promoted
Wu Yunling, Director of Marine Science and Technology and Foreign Cooperation Division, Shandong Oceanic Administration, introduced the status of construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform
At the press conference, Wu Yunling, Director of Marine Science and Technology and Foreign Cooperation Division, Shandong Oceanic Administration, introduced the status of construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform. The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, jointly established by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the People’s Government of Shandong Province, is headquartered in Qingdao West Coast New Area. Since its construction in 2015, the Platform, under the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the People’s Government of Shandong Province, has established the high-level planning, high-standard positioning and high-quality promotion scheme, and made several remarkable achievements.
The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform will actively promote the construction of entity institutions, and perform in-depth investigation, so as to give full play to the advantages of science and technology and foreign cooperation resources in Shandong Province, and propose the scheme of constructing Qingdao Marine International Cooperation Center in an innovative manner.
The Platform has successfully created high-end forums and expos. It will give full play to the role of a high-end think tank, and carry out a series of high-level dialogs, international exchanges, publicity, promotion and business cooperation, thus promoting practical cooperation in the maritime field. From 2016 to 2020, over 100 officials at the vice-ministerial level and above from more than 80 countries and regions, and leaders of over 40 international organizations and business associations attended the Expos. Qingdao Forum and East Asia Marine Expo have become the important carriers of cooperation and exchange in the marine field and windows for domestic and overseas people to understand Shandong and invest in Qingdao.
Wu Yunling stated that “We will give full play to the advantages of Shandong in the aspects of marine science and technology and international cooperation according to the deployment requirements of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Shandong Provincial Committee and Government, to accelerate the construction of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, organize the implementation of the Construction Plan for the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform (2021-2025), build a gilded signboard of Qingdao Forum and East Asia Marine Expo, and deepen multi-level practical cooperation in the maritime field, thus exerting the power of Shandong for serving and integrating the new development pattern.”
