China sees marked improvement in marine environment: white paper

BEIJING -- China has seen marked improvement in the quality of its marine environment and has been working hard on innovative new protection approaches, said a white paper issued on Thursday by China's State Council Information Office.

Through land-sea coordination and by increasing river-sea connectivity, it has effectively improved the marine eco-environment, said the white paper titled "Marine Eco-Environmental Protection in China."

Through comprehensive governance of key sea areas, land-sea coordination in pollution control, and building beautiful bays, China's nearshore water quality has improved. In 2023, the proportion of sea areas with good to excellent water quality saw a 21.3 percentage points increase from 2012, according to the document.

The white paper shed light on China's comprehensive governance of key sea areas, such as the Bohai Sea, the Yangtze River Estuary-Hangzhou Bay, and the Pearl River Estuary, which are located at the strategic intersections of China's coast where high-quality development is in full swing.

Taking Bohai Sea region as an example, the deterioration of the eco-environment has been contained, and a positive momentum is sustained.

In order to alleviate the impact of land-sourced pollution on the marine environment, China has adopted robust measures to coordinate land-sea pollution control and monitor the key pathways that channel land-sourced pollutants into the sea, said the white paper.

Through high-level eco-environmental protection, China strives to foster new impetus for and new advantages in its high-quality development, it noted.

China is making significant progress in the adoption of green ships and new energy vessels. Its first methanol dual-fueled ship can reduce carbon emissions by 75 percent, nitrogen emissions by 15 percent, and sulfur and particulate matter emissions by 99 percent, according to the white paper.