Wang Hong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Administrator of the State Oceanic Administration, delivered remarks
Xu Wenguang, Executive Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, delivered remarks
Signing Ceremony
The China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center was officially inaugurated
Chen Danhong, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, delivered the “Hangzhou Declaration on Jointly Building the China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center”
African Delegates Visit SIO
From 25 to 26 July, the China–Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Seminar, jointly organized by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China (State Oceanic Administration) and the UNESCO/IOC Sub Commission for Africa & the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA), and co-hosted by the Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO) and the China Ocean Development Foundation, was held in Hangzhou. During the event, the China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center (hereinafter referred to as “the Cooperation Center”) was officially established.
Wang Hong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Administrator of the State Oceanic Administration; Xu Wenguang, Executive Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province; Prof. Amr Zakaria Hamouda, IOC Vice-Chair and President of Egypt’s National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries; Prof. Kouadio Affian, Chair of IOCAFRICA; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries of Zanzibar attended the seminar and jointly unveiled the Cooperation Center. More than 100 representatives from 14 African countries, including Egypt, Mozambique, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa and Madagascar, as well as several international organizations, Chinese marine management agencies, research institutes, and universities participated in the event.
At the seminar, Director General Fang Yinxia of SIO, together with IOCAFRICA and Egypt’s National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), signed a tripartite agreement on co-building the China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center. The establishment of the Cooperation Center is a concrete action to implement the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation Dakar Action Plan (2022–2024) and promote a China-Africa community with a shared future. It is of great significance for deepening marine scientific cooperation and technological innovation and advancing sustainable blue economy development across Africa.
Vice Minister Wang Hong put forward suggestions for the future development of the Center. First, the Center should serve as an accelerator for high-quality blue economy development by sharing China’s experience and exploring development models suited to African national realities. Second, it should become a new engine for marine science and technology innovation by strengthening alignment between the UN Ocean Decade China Action Framework and the Africa Ocean Decade Roadmap, offering solutions to fundamental scientific questions and providing public platforms and policy advice. Third, it should become a new base for cultivating marine science and technology talent, playing an important role in capacity building for China-Africa cooperation.
Xu Wenguang highlighted Zhejiang Province’s achievements in building a strong marine economy and implementing the “Technology-Empowered Ocean” initiative. He underscored Zhejiang’s accomplishments in cultural exchange, economic cooperation, and joint efforts with African partners in areas such as pandemic response. He expressed the hope that Zhejiang and African countries would continue deepening cooperation in blue economy development, marine science and technology innovation, and green development.
At the seminar, Chen Danhong, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, read out the “Hangzhou Declaration on Jointly Building the China-Africa Marine Science and Blue Economy Cooperation Center.” Director General Fang Yinxia and Prof. Susan El-Gharabawi, IOC Vice-Chair and Head of the Marine Geology Department of NIOF, delivered keynote speeches, presenting the construction plan of the Cooperation Center and sharing prospects for China-Egypt marine cooperation.
This seminar coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, China has closely integrated its development with Africa’s marine agenda and achieved fruitful results. Both sides have signed cooperation documents, built a blue partnership, jointly established marine observation stations and laboratories, advanced satellite remote-sensing cooperation, strengthened research on climate and environmental change, carried out joint surveys on continental shelf science, cooperated on marine spatial planning to support blue economy development, and conducted extensive capacity-building programs to cultivate young talent and enhance marine scientific capabilities.
On 26 July, African delegates visited the Second Institute of Oceanography. They toured the State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, the Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics of the Ministry of Natural Resources, further deepening their understanding of SIO’s research capacities.