China's marine economy sees steady growth

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's gross ocean product rose 6.3 percent to nearly 6.4 trillion yuan (about 909.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters, official data showed.

In breakdown, the marine transportation sector maintained fast growth, with coastal and ocean freight reporting year-on-year growth of 8.5 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The output of offshore crude oil rose 2.3 percent and natural gas output saw an increase of 5 percent from the same period last year, data from the ministry showed.

The manufacturing sector's delivery orders for marine engineering equipment totaled 6.2 billion US dollars, up 19.2 percent from a year earlier, showing that the structural adjustment of the emerging marine industry has begun to bear fruit, said the ministry.

In the meantime, the cruise market is entering a recovery period. Nationwide, entry-exit cruise passengers totaled nearly 3.12 million in the first three quarters, down 18 percent year on year, narrowing from the 20-percent decline in the January-August period.