On December 8, the 2nd China-Indian Ocean Regional Development Cooperation Forum was held in Kunming, Yunnan, and four sub-forums were set. The SIO hosted the “Blue Disaster Prevention and Reduction Cooperation” sub-forum, and 27 foreign guests from 13 countries of the Indian Ocean Region and more than 40 Chinese guests attended the sub-forum to discuss marine disaster prevention and reduction. 9 guests, including Mr. Sihle Zikalala, Minister of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure of the Republic of South Africa, Zhang Zhanhai, former Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Xu Wei, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, delivered speeches, and Director Fang Yinxia presided over the sub-forum.

At the sub-forum, Chen Danhong, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, delivered a special report and made recommendations on speeding up the construction of a maritime cooperation platform between China and countries in the Indian Ocean Region, jointly implementing maritime actions under the framework of the United Nations “Ocean Decade”, treating the blue economy as a priority area for building the maritime community with a shared future, etc. In the thematic dialogue session, six expert representatives from China, Myanmar, Comoros, Sri Lanka and Djibouti jointly discussed the most urgent marine disasters faced by countries around the Indian Ocean and relevant solutions, and reached a consensus on further expanding and deepening cooperation in this field. The experts agreed that the Indian Ocean Rim region faces various types of marine disasters, including ocean dynamics, ecology, geology and climate, and that countries in the region should strengthen unity and cooperation, establish the China-Indian Ocean Blue Disaster Prevention and Reduction Cooperation Alliance, support the construction of the China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center and the China-Indian Ocean Marine Cooperation and Training Center, promote the establishment of multi-disaster marine disaster observation and monitoring network, develop the early warning and forecasting system and provide public service products, so as to enhance the region’s capacity for marine disaster prevention and mitigation.

At the closing ceremony of the main forum, Director Fang Yinxia gave a summary on behalf of the “Blue Disaster Prevention and Reduction Cooperation” sub-forum, and clarified that China will further summarize the opinions and suggestions proposed by experts from various countries, transform them into concrete and operational cooperation projects, and promote cooperation in the field of marine disaster prevention and reduction between China and countries in the Indian Ocean Region under the guidance and support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and China International Development Cooperation Agency.