City to be hq of asian marine industry body

Major forum marks start of ambitious plan

A recently concluded forum is expected to connect countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more closely in marine sectors.

The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, also known as EAMCP, is a new high-level program under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The first Huangdao Forum of the EAMCP was held in Qingdao, Shandong province, from July 26 to 28.

"The most significant achievement is a regular communication mechanism jointly built by more than 80 industrial leaders, experts and academicians to deepen regional cooperation," said Li Fengli, director of the administrative committee of the Qingdao West Coast New Area.

With the theme of "connectivity brings mutual win-win results", the forum attracted more than 400 participants, including officials, experts and entrepreneurs from relevant countries.

Li said a permanent EAMCP head office will be built in the new area to coordinate communication and cooperation efforts.

The EAMCP was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and then in November 2013, the State Council, China's cabinet, announced Shandong province as the main base of operations for EAMCP and appointed the State Oceanic Administration to formulate plans for its construction.

In December 2015, the first EAMCP work meeting held in Beijing announced that construction of the EAMCP would be centered in Qingdao and be headquartered at Qingdao West Coast New Area, which is known as Huangdao.

The Huangdao forum marked the official start of EAMCP.

"The focal point at the forum was innovation and business transformation by leveraging opportunities generated by China's Belt and Road Initiative. Cooperation among participating regions of EAMCP will be concentrated on this in the near future." Li said.

At an assembly during the three-day forum, the East Asia Seaport Alliance was established, with 11 members from port companies in Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Djibouti, Pakistan, Qingdao and four other Chinese cities.

The alliance members vowed to build a platform for exchange and cooperation between ports along the Maritime Silk Road to promote the joint development of the ports and shipping industries.

At a parallel session, the East Asia Culture and Arts Exhibition incorporated a series of events, including the China Silk Apparel Fashion Show, the Fine Ceramic Arts Exhibition, and an exhibition called Somewhere Else is Somewhere Here, displaying paintings on containers.

More than 10 high-end arts institutions also joined the East Asia Arts Development Forum, offering unique perspectives on arts education, cultural communication and coordinated development through keynote speeches and panel discussions.

More than 30,000 citizens also visited the East Asia Commodities Fair. With 12,000 square meters of floor space, the fair included an international section, a China section, and Shandong and Qingdao sections.

Over 8,000 commodities in marine technology, smart manufacturing and special consumer products were displayed at the fair, with exhibitors from 362 enterprises from East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The forum also released several research results at its parallel sessions, including the East Asia Ocean Summit and East Asia Marine Economic Cooperation and Finance Connectivity.

A total of 23 experts and academicians made keynote speeches on marine technology research and development cooperation, marine finance and East Asian marine economy cooperation.

The 2016 East Asia Oceanic Trade Interaction Index and the 2016 East Asia Marine Economy Development Analysis Report were also released at the forum.

huqing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/02/2016 page12)