Fishermen operate their boats through waves in a marine ranch of Dinghai bay, Lianjiang county, Fuzhou city, Fujian province, on May 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

　　China plans to boost its capacity for innovative marine technologies, optimize and expand its marine industries, enhance marine ecological protection and promote the blue economy, as the country eyes further ocean-driven economic growth, it was stated at a recent government meeting.

　　Northeastern China, with abundant biomass resources, good wind and solar assets, and home to major ports, is expected to become the country's most important sustainable fuel production base, said China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co Ltd.

　　The company, a subsidiary of State-owned China Energy Engineering Corp Ltd, said it plans to build a sustainable fuel production base with an annual capacity of over 1 million metric tons in Northeast China. At the ports of Jinzhou and Dalian in Liaoning province, it plans to build a transfer base of sustainable fuel with annual transfer capacity of over 1 million tons of fuel.

　　A key meeting of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs earlier this month stressed efforts to advance the building of a unified national market and promote the high-quality development of the marine economy.

　　The meeting also emphasized increasing policy support and encouraged private capital participation in the sector.

　　China's marine economy is showing strong growth momentum. Last year, the gross ocean product exceeded 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) for the first time, ultimately hitting 10.54 trillion yuan, up 5.9 percent year-on-year. The figure accounted for 7.8 percent of the national GDP, becoming an important engine driving overall economic growth, said the Ministry of Natural Resources.