Fuzhou, May 17 (China News Agency/Lin Chunyin) — The First General Assembly of 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee was held on May 17, 2018, advocating for building an exchange platform for maritime cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

　　Provided by The Committee Secretariat

At the assembly, Fuzhou Declaration was released, proposing that 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee will take the Belt and Road Initiative as an important cooperation platform with a focus on maritime cooperation, plan and implement a number of major cooperation projects with the participation of all parties, and cast the "blue engine" of sustainable development.

According to the Declaration, 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee will focus on marine economy and digital economy, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of port facilities construction, waterway safety and security, marine industry cooperation, marine cultural exchange, marine ecological protection, as well as talent, logistics, trade, finance, education, tourism, etc. Meanwhile, it will identify the complementarities among different countries to achieve mutual benefits and win-win cooperation.

The Declaration also proposed that 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee is willing to work with coastal cities and organizations in the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world to establish the "21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Center", and to build an effective dialogue mechanism and coordination mechanism, set up the "21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Fund" and the "21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Think Tank", and build up a series of important exchange platforms for maritime cooperation under the "Belt and Road" construction.

In April 2017, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government jointly initiated the establishment of 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee within the framework of the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). At present, 52 cities and organizations from 25 countries on 5 continents have become founding members.

"Effective maritime cooperation at the local level will benefit the entire Asia Pacific region and show the pivotal role Asia Pacific region plays," said Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC.

Wang Ning, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, said that "Maritime Fuzhou Project" is actively integrated into the "Belt and Road" construction, and will promote the committee to accelerate the construction of an effective dialogue mechanism. Through the mutual learning in urban governance, industrial cooperation, ecological protection, culture, tourism, trade and other areas between 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee and its member cities, we will jointly implement a number of maritime cooperation projects.

The assembly approved: Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; You Mengjun, Mayor of Fuzhou City, China, as Presidents of the Committee; Anies Rasyid Baswedan, Governor of Jakarta Capital City Government, Indonesia; Ding Hui, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Haikou Municipal Committee and Mayor of Haikou City, China; Patrice Vergriete, President of the Urban Community of Dunkirk, France; and Hassan Ali Joho, Governor of Mombasa County, Kenya, as Co-Presidents. (End)

(Source: China News Agency. Translation: the Commitee Secretariat)