'Seminar on Jointly Building a New Engine for China-ASEAN Blue Economy' held in Kuala Lumpur

Building a China-ASEAN blue economy big common market has become a major option for China and ASEAN to create a "blue engine" for economic growth and to promote regional economic integration. To foster in-depth cooperation between China and ASEAN in the field of blue economy and inject new impetus into regional integration, on August 25, 2025, "Seminar on Jointly Building a New Engine for China-ASEAN Blue Economy" was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The seminar was co-hosted by China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), the Institute of Asian Studies, China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), and the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA), with Department of International and Strategic Studies, Universiti Malaya as co-organizer, and Hainan Institute for Free Trade Port Studies (HIFTPS) as supporting organization.

The seminar focused on such topics as "Unleashing the potential value of marine resources to promote the integration of the China-ASEAN blue economy", "Strengthening cooperation on smart ports and green shipping to facilitate connectivity of the marine economy" and "Leveraging the platform of Hainan Free Trade Port to build a China-ASEAN marine tourism and cultural economic circle". It brought together more than 40 participants, including government officials, experts and scholars, business representatives, and journalists from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, to jointly explore the pathways and opportunities for cooperation in blue economy.

Professor Chi Fulin, president of CIRD and president of HIFTPS, and Monaliza binti Suhaimi, director-general of MIMA, delivered opening remarks. The opening ceremony was moderated by Yang Rui, executive president of CIRD and president of RCEP Research Institute.

Professor Chi highlighted CIRD's long-standing efforts in advancing China-ASEAN cooperation in blue economy. From 2015 to 2016, CIRD proposed the concept of a "Pan-South China Sea Economic Cooperation Circle"; from 2018 to 2019, it advanced the idea of establishing an "Island Tourism Economic Community"; from 2021 to 2023, it advocated "Cooperation-led Governance"; and in 2024, it introduced the vision of "China-ASEAN Blue Economy Integration". Professor Chi emphasized that blue economy represents a common market for China and ASEAN, serving as a key driver for economic growth, trade cooperation, and industrial transformation. He underscored the need to build a common market led by marine tourism, encompassing common markets for marine tourism, marine fisheries, renewable energy, and emerging fields such as marine biological resource development. To achieve this, he called for strengthening connectivity of marine infrastructure with ports as the focal point, extending RCEP trade and economic rules to cover the maritime sector, and establishing a cooperative governance framework guided by ecological and resource conservation.

Monaliza binti Suhaimi noted that China-ASEAN Blue Economy Partnership not only aligns with deepening cooperation between China and ASEAN, but also reflects their shared priorities of economic growth, security, and sustainability. She emphasized that implementing China-ASEAN Blue Economy Blueprint will require substantial and well-targeted investment in sustainable and high-value marine sectors, advances in policy and technological innovation, and the promotion of inclusive and resilient cooperative governance and capacity building.

Session 1 on "China-ASEAN Blue Economy Integration and Regional Economic Cooperation" was moderated by Li Fujian, deputy director of the Center for Global Biosecurity Governance at China Foreign Affairs University.

Rommel Banlaoi, president of Philippine Society for International Security Studies, emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive framework that links the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (ACFTA) with RCEP, and called for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Ngeow Chow Bing, director of the Institute of China Studies at Universiti Malaya, noted that in the face of geopolitical challenges, it is essential to strengthen blue economy cooperation by fully leveraging ASEAN's role as a key platform and regional organization. Mazlinawati Abdul Majid, centre head of Maritime Economics and Industries of MIMA, suggested leveraging Hainan Free Trade Port as a China-ASEAN tourism platform. She underlined that its significance lies not only in tourism itself, but also in building long-term and transformative partnerships that attract high-value tourism, stimulate coastal development, and advance the China-ASEAN blue economy agenda. Cui Shaozhong, associate professor at the School of International Economics at China Foreign Affairs University, proposed that promoting China-ASEAN blue economy integration and regional cooperation could begin with areas such as marine science and technology, marine tourism, and marine infrastructure. Guo Da, executive president of HIFTPS, suggested that Hainan Free Trade Port should play a leading role in advancing the China-ASEAN common market for blue economy. He called for enhancing port connectivity, strengthening linkages between China and ASEAN fisheries markets, establishing a China-ASEAN cruise tourism cooperation circle, and promoting sustainable marine development with a focus on marine ecological protection. Nur Zulaikha Yusof, head of Sustainability and Strategic Planning at Hexagon Synergy (M) Sdn. Bhd., recommended that China and ASEAN enhance monitoring, reporting, and enforcement against illegal dumping, promote regional cooperation on port logistics, build waste management capacity and technology sharing, and pursue cross-border cooperation, mutual recognition of standards, and joint enforcement.

Session 2 on "Practical Measures and Major Breakthroughs in Promoting the Connectivity of China-ASEAN Blue Economy" was moderated by Ong Chong Yi, senior research fellow of HIFTPS. Mohd Fadzil Mohd Akhir, pro-vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, stressed that universities can play an important role in advancing the blue economy by strengthening education, research, and exchanges in this field. Preeda Youngsuksathaporn, secretary-general of Fish Marketing Organization of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand, highlighted Thailand's ongoing initiatives such as building digital fishing ports, advancing green transformation in shipping, and enhancing the value of seafood products to promote the blue economy. Looking ahead, he called for stronger China-ASEAN cooperation in blue economy to reduce waste emissions and to develop a low-carbon, sustainable fisheries supply chain. Chan Kim Lian, professor of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, noted that the ASEAN blue economy is of critical importance and that regional cooperation is becoming increasingly vital. She emphasized that promoting the China-ASEAN blue economy cooperation, particularly in tourism, requires strengthening infrastructure connectivity, jointly addressing climate change, and enhancing collaboration among research institutes, the private sector, and governments. Muhammad Nur Arif Othman, centre head of Coastal and Marine Environment of MIMA, pointed out that Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) can link conservation with economic growth by connecting transboundary ecosystems and fostering sustainable development of China-ASEAN blue economy. He suggested strengthening the sharing of successful OECM cases between China and ASEAN, as well as enhancing cooperation in marine ecological protection and capacity building. Ben Lee, executive director of Lu Haifeng Development Sdn. Bhd, suggested leveraging the Hainan Free Trade Port to advance China-ASEAN blue economy cooperation by focusing on innovation and infrastructure improvement, jointly developing new energy potential, implementing climate resource-sharing programs, building a marine economy big data cooperation platform, and collaborating on the development of marine ranching. Li Chun, Director of CIRD-GRANDALL Center of FTP Law Studies, emphasized that there remains considerable space for China-ASEAN cooperation on marine ranching. However, he underscored the need to strengthen awareness of the importance of standards, laws, policies, and values, and to actively promote cooperation in marine-related services to jointly build a resilient marine industry and supply chain.