2nd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation closes

The second China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation closed in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on the evening of Dec 8, 2023. Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Luo Zhaohui, Vice-Governor of Yunnan Wang Hao, and vice-chairmen of the CIDCA Zhao Fengtao and Liu Junfeng attended the closing ceremony.

In his summary remarks, Zhao extended his appreciation to the Yunnan provincial government for its strong support for the forum as a co-host. The forum, focusing on " Boosting Sustainable Blue Economy to Build Together a Maritime Community with a Shared Future", further consolidated development consensus, reinforced development alignment and clustered development resources, he said. Participating parties lauded the China-proposed Global Development Initiative which aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-30), and pledged to strengthen development planning and action alignment to continue deepening cooperation in the blue economy in the China-Indian Ocean region. The forum yielded a joint statement on blue economy development cooperation in the region with a list of 10 deliverables. China is ready to work with all parties to firmly support the accelerated development of the countries in the Indian Ocean region and contribute more to the realization of the sustainable development goals and the building of a maritime community with a shared future, Zhao said.

In his closing remarks, Wang expressed gratitude on behalf of Yunnan to all guests attending the event both online and offline. He said that Yunnan, as an important gateway of China's opening-up to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Rim, will uphold China’s principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy and the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, deepen the Belt and Road cooperation, promote the construction of international land and sea routes to the Indian Ocean, and continue to provide new opportunities for neighboring countries with Yunnan's new development.

More than 350 representatives from over 30 countries and international organizations, as well as think tanks, foundations and enterprises, attended the forum online and onsite. They included Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Maldives Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Trade and Tourism of Djibouti Mohamed Warsama Dirieh, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of South Africa Sihle Zikalala, and Comorian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment, Tourism and Handicraft Houmed Msaidié.

Hosts of the four parallel sub-forums - Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and Ocean University of China, reported their respective outcomes.