Foreign experts admire Qingdao's marine industries

A delegation of 15 foreign experts from 14 countries visit Qingdao Bright Moon Seaweed Group on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A delegation of 15 foreign experts from 14 countries paid a visit to Qingdao, Shandong province, from Sept 22 to 25, to delve into the city's achievements in maritime-related industries and to witness its dedication to ecological and environmental preservation.

The delegation was impressed by the city's rapid development over the past few decades. During the visit, members of the group took a tour across Qingdao that included stops at several key locations: Qingdao Bright Moon Seaweed Group, Qingdao Tangdaowan Bay Park, Qingdao Luhaifeng National Marine Ranch Demonstration Area, Tsingtao Beer Museum, Haier World Home Appliances Museum and Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group.

They witnessed advanced technologies applied to marine resource harvesting, including krill, seaweed and fish, all of which have contributed to the city's thriving blue economy.

Tamara Kunanayakam, former ambassador and permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the UN, expressed her admiration for China's progress: "I've learned a lot and was very impressed with the incredible progress China has made in such a short period," she said.

A delegation of 15 foreign experts from 14 countries visit Function (Qingdao) Marine Technology Group on Sunday. [Photo by Xie Chuanjiao/chinadaily.com.cn]

Tay Yap Leong, senior director of the Malaysian Institute of Defense and Security (MiDAS), shared his excitement about the trip.

"The visit is enlightening. I've seen the advanced technologies applied by companies harvesting marine resources. It has generated a huge blue economy ecosystem for China, particularly in Qingdao," he said.

Renato Peneluppi, an expert on Chinese public administration from Brazil, applauded Qingdao's efforts in nurturing its relationship with the sea. He remarked: "Qingdao is a green and beautiful city. The application of science and technology in the modernization process we see here has generated a high-tech industry, creating jobs that demand a high level of training. There is a strong focus on sustainable development, harmonizing the relationship with nature and improving the quality of life."

As a maritime hub in China, Qingdao boasts an impressive array of marine resources, including 57 research institutions, 56 high-end research and development platforms focused on marine subjects, 20 full-time academicians and many thousands of marine experts and researchers. The robust marine infrastructure contributes significantly to the city's role in promoting sustainable ocean science and cooperation.

A delegation of 15 foreign experts from 14 countries visit Qingdao, Shandong province, to delve into the city's achievements in maritime-related industries. [Photo by Xie Chuanjiao/chinadaily.com.cn]

In February, Qingdao unveiled the UN Ocean Decade Collaborative Center on Ocean-Climate Nexus, the only one in Asia, as well as the Ocean Decade International Cooperation Center, the only one in China, further solidifying its importance in advancing sustainable ocean science.

In the first half of this year, Qingdao has achieved a total marine production value of 247.94 billion yuan ($33.8 billion). The cargo throughput and container throughput of Qingdao Port of Shandong Port Group in the first seven months of the year reached 407 million metric tons and 16.43 million TEUs, respectively, ranking fourth and third in China.

The visit of the foreign experts to Qingdao served as a prelude to their participation in the upcoming International Conference on Environment, Development, and Human Rights, which is scheduled to be held in Beijing on Tuesday.