Remarks by Chairman Luo Zhaohui at the Opening Ceremony of the Third China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation

Remarks by Chairman Luo Zhaohui at the Opening Ceremony of the Third China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation

( December 16th, Kunming )

Your Excellency Mr. Wang Yong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC),

Your Excellency Mr. Reginald Farley, President of the Senate of Barbados,

Your Excellency Mr. Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Vice President of Maldives,

Your Excellency Mr. Wang Ning, Secretary of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee,

Your Excellency Mr. Wang Yubo, Governor of Yunnan Province,   

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Morning!

It's my great honor to participate in today's opening ceremony. First of all, on behalf of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), which is in charge of foreign assistance and international development cooperation, I welcome you all to attend the Third China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation.

The theme of this year's Forum is "Future of the Blue Indian Ocean-Development Practice of the Global South". The Forum will share with international community three key words: "blue","action" and "solidarity"(BAS).

First is blue. The blue economy is a combination of marine economy and green economy, and it is in line with the interests of all countries, and conforms to the historical trend. At the policy level, we have a lot of important documents and consensus about blue economy, such as the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, and the Agenda 2063 passed by the African Union. Blue economy has become a high priority.

Focusing on core marine issues such as fishery connectivity, disaster prevention and reduction, climate change response, marine energy, ecological protection, this year's Forum sets up sub-forums, roundtables and government-enterprise dialogues to pool wisdom, build consensus and work together to achieve the UN SDGs and the maritime community with a shared future. 

Second is action. Blueprint has been drawn. Action is the highest priority right now. 

The Indian Ocean connects four continents and two oceans. Two thirds of the world's oil trade and one sixth of the world's goods pass through this Ocean. It is the economic lifeline of the world, especially for more than 40 countries and regions along this Ocean. To develop the blue economy of the Indian Ocean and achieve its sustainable development requires joint action.

President Xi proposed the GDI three years ago to accelerate the realization of the SDGs and the UN Decade of Ocean Science. China is a dialogue partner of the Indian Ocean Rim Alliance. Within the framework of the GDI, we have held annual blue economy cooperation forum, which in itself is of great importance and an action. 

We have issued a joint statement on Blue Economy development cooperation, successfully held a seminar on the Blue Economy Think Tank Network in the Indian Ocean region, set up a China-Africa Cooperation Center on Satellite Remote Sensing Application in Beijing, and trained more than 6,000 talents in various fields for Indian Ocean region countries under the Blue Talent Program. Compared with forums in the previous two years, this year's Forum is larger in scale, higher in level and greater in representation, and will surely achieve more outcomes.

Third is solidarity. We appreciate Barbados and Maldives joining us to co-host this year’s Forum. From Barbados to Maldives, there are 39 small island developing states in the world. Despite enjoying extraordinarily beautiful scenery, small island states are facing survival crisis. But their concerns have not yet got enough attention. 

International development cooperation around the blue economy is imperative for small island states to survive. As a member of the Global South, China is on the same page with small island states. Within the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and the GDI, we have launched a large number of development projects in all small island states, including agriculture, marine energy and climate early warning, and provided tens of thousands of training opportunities. We are ready to work with all parties to continuously mobilize various resources, to implement and actively align the GDI with the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda, and fully support small island states to achieve more resilience and prosperity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the co-hosts of this Forum, the Republic of Barbados and the Republic of Maldives, as well as the People's Government of Yunnan Province for organizing the Forum.

I would like to thank high-level representatives from relevant countries, UN agencies, the public and private sectors, businesses, think tanks and universities for your active participation.

Of course, I would like to thank the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Emergency Management for your strong support for this Forum. 

My special thanks goes to Mr. Wang Yong, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, for taking time out of his busy schedule to attend this Forum. Now, let’s welcome Vice Chairman Wang Yong for his keynote speech!