Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presides over the 46th biweekly consultative meeting of the 14th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing on June 26, 2026. [Photo by Jiang Guidong/CPPCC Daily]

The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held in Beijing on June 26 its 46th biweekly consultative meeting on boosting the development of marine energy and resources and enhancing the ecological restoration of key marine areas.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the meeting.

Wang said that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to maritime development, providing strategic guidance for continued progress in China's marine economy and its efforts to build itself into a maritime power. He called on CPPCC members to focus on the priorities set out in the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and make their duty performance and proposals more targeted and effective.

Wang noted that building China into a strong maritime power is a major strategic task in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. To advance Chinese modernization, it is imperative to promote high-quality development of the marine economy and accelerate the building of a strong maritime country, he said.

Wang urged CPPCC members to conduct in-depth research and survey and offer suggestions on key maritime issues during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, including the coordinated advancement of marine development and ecological conservation, the enhancement of independent innovation in marine science and technology, the further development and utilization of marine energy and resources, the construction of a sustainable marine eco-environment and deep participation in global ocean governance.

He called upon scientists and entrepreneurs among CPPCC members to leverage their professional expertise to play a greater part in advancing the development and utilization of marine energy and resources and strengthening ecological conservation and restoration in key maritime areas.

Several CPPCC National Committee members spoke at the meeting. They agreed on the need to step up the development of marine energy and resources, to scale up seawater desalination and the industrial use of marine biomedicine, and to foster stronger, higher-quality growth in the marine industry. They emphasized strict adherence to red lines for marine ecological protection and the significance of advancing marine ecological conservation and restoration.

They also called for stronger scientific and technological support for original marine innovation and breakthroughs in core technologies, higher efficiency in translating research outcomes into applications, and progress in smart ocean development. Modern marine governance should be refined with better coordination mechanisms and deeper international maritime cooperation, they said.

Vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee Shen Yueyue, Wang Yong, Su Hui, Wang Dongfeng, Jiang Xinzhi and Wang Guangqian attended the meeting. Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment gave briefings at the meeting on related work and held consultations with the CPPCC members present.