Seeking Medicine in the Ocean, Venturing into the Deep Blue: The 21st Century Maritime Cooperation Committee’s Forum on Marine Biomedicine and Blue Economy Development Held in Fuzhou

　　The vast blue ocean teems with infinite life, while deep-sea exploration unlocks the codes of existence. Building a maritime community with a shared future for the ocean has become a strong international consensus, and driving high-quality development of the blue economy relies on deeper and broader practical cooperation. 
　　On the afternoon of October 16, the Forum on Marine Biomedicine and Blue Economy Development of the 21st Century Maritime Cooperation Committee was held at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center. The forum gathered over 150 participants, including representatives from members and advisors of the 21st Century Maritime Cooperation Committee, foreign embassies and consulates in China, Fuzhou’s international sister cities and friendly exchange cities, as well as renowned domestic and international experts, scholars, research institutes, and enterprise delegates. Distinguished guests attending the forum included H.E. Dr. Fazeel Najeeb, Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to China; Ms. Wang Xiaoying, Deputy Director-General of the China Center for Contemporary World Studies; Dr. Du Guanhua, Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, Technical Director of the “Blue Medicine Talent” Program of Ocean University of China, President of Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao; Dr. Zhang Wei, Academician of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Tan Kah Kee Chair Professor of Xiamen University, Deputy Director and Chief Scientist of Fujian Ocean Innovation Center; and Lin Xiufen, Founder and Chairwoman of Xiamen Blue Bay Science & Technology Co., Ltd. 
　　Under the theme "Marine Biomedicine and Blue Economy Development," the forum addressed critical topics in marine resource conservation, core technology breakthroughs, the translation of scientific research into practical applications, and international collaboration. Participants exchanged insights on marine biomedical research and innovation, technological achievement translation, industrial upgrading, marine biological resource conservation, and land-sea ecological coordination. By sharing policy practices and building consensus among government, industry, and academia, the forum explored new pathways for the mutually reinforcing development of marine biomedical innovation and high-quality blue economy growth, injecting new momentum into safeguarding marine ecological barriers and fostering an inclusive, sustainable blue economy. 
　　H.E. Dr. Fazeel Najeeb, Ambassador of the Maldives to China, stated that the ocean accounts for 99% of the Maldives' total territory, making the blue economy a vital reality for national development, with tourism and fisheries serving as the main pillars of its national economy. Marine biomedicine represents a key pillar of a diversified, high-value blue economy. The Maldives is willing to carry out scientific research cooperation and capacity building under the premise of respecting resource sovereignty, and welcomes research institutions, pharmaceutical enterprises, and maritime tech service providers from all sides to jointly promote the sustainable development of marine biomedicine and the blue economy. 
　　Ms. Wang Xiaoying, deputy director-general of the China Center for Contemporary World Studies, stated that China's blue economy strength is steadily increasing and the scale of its marine economy continues to grow, but it also faces practical challenges such as the increasingly prominent deficit in global ocean governance. To develop the blue economy, it is necessary to further activate new quality productive forces in the marine sector, lead and promote higher-level global ocean governance, deepen and solidify cooperation in jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, continuously deepen practical cooperation in the marine field, and promote the building of a maritime community with a shared future.
　　During the keynote speech session, domestic and foreign guests focused on cutting-edge topics such as the discovery of marine bioactive substances and new drug R&D, clinical translation and green manufacturing of marine medicine, and the sustainable utilization and ecological protection of marine biological resources. They shared frontier scientific achievements, analyzed industrial pain points, and jointly discussed development paths. 
　　Focusing on the development of the "Blue Pharmacy," Dr.Du Guanhua, Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, Technical Director of the “Blue Medicine Talent” Program of Ocean University of China, President of Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, demonstrated a series of breakthrough achievements in China’s marine biomedical field. He pointed out that to address current bottlenecks and challenges in the industry, it is necessary to rely on modern technologies such as synthetic biology and structural biology, dig deep into historical traditional Chinese medicine resources from the ocean, and strengthen the integration of government, industry, academia, research, and application. This will help bridge the full chain from resource discovery to product implementation, transforming marine natural advantages into tangible industrial momentum. 
　　Zhang Wei, academician of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, proposed that marine biomedicine is undergoing a threefold transformation: from resource discovery to life information mining, from ocean harvesting to terrestrial biomanufacturing, and from individual drugs to the blue health industry. Given the prominent challenge of technology translation currently facing the sector, there is a need to unblock the entire chain spanning resources, standards, validation, manufacturing, and markets. The core of future competition lies in efficiently translating marine life information into health and industrial value. 
　　Drawing on twenty years of industrial practice, Lin Xiufen, Chairwoman of Xiamen BlueBay Science & Technology Co., Ltd., shared that the marine economy is shifting from resource extraction to industrial capacity building. Deeply rooted in the marine biomedical sector, her enterprise has overcome key technical hurdles in high-purity glucosamine and established a full industrial chain covering raw materials, formulations, and end products. Adhering to green, circular development, the company looks forward to deepening industry-university-research synergy to turn marine resource advantages into global industrial competitiveness. 
　　The panel discussion featured two thematic sessions: “Innovation-Driven Development with Ecological Priorities: New Pathways for High-Quality Development of Marine Biomedicine” and “Industry-University-Research-Application Collaboration: Creating a New Pattern of Global Cooperation in Marine Biomedicine”. Participating experts and business leaders expressed their insights and exchanged ideas, contributing valuable wisdom to improving quality and efficiency in the marine biomedical industry and deepening global marine industrial cooperation. 
　　From the sustainable utilization of marine biological resources to the joint protection of marine ecological security, the 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee is steering steadily toward the deep blue of high-quality maritime development, with science and technology as its oars and ecology as its sail. As a specialized committee jointly initiated by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government within the framework of UCLG ASPAC, the 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee has connected 80 members across 29 countries on five continents since its establishment, constructing an inclusive, shared, and sustainable space for dialogue and cooperation. 
　　This forum stands as a vivid practice of the Committee extending its platform advantages into the new frontier of marine biomedicine and the blue economy. By building consensus through international dialogue and linking the full "R&D–Application–Protection" chain through multi-stakeholder collaboration, the Committee will continue to play its role as a bridge and bond, ensuring that marine biomedical innovations better benefit all parties while injecting lasting momentum into global blue economy prosperity and the improvement of the ocean governance system. 
　　It is reported that during the conference, attending guests will also deeply participate in a series of activities under the 2026 World Maritime Equipment Conference and conduct field visits, further expanding space for cooperation and deepening pragmatic outcomes. 
　　Source: 21CMCC
　　 
　　

Forum on Marine Biomedicine and Blue Economy Development21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committeee

2026 World Maritime Equipment Conferenceto Be Held in Fuzhou, Fujian

　　The 2026 World Maritime Equipment Conference will take place in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, from October 16 to 19. The Information Office of the Fujian Provincial People's Government held a press conference on the October 21st to introduce relevant details.
　　According to the briefing, themed "Green, Smart and Collaborative: Navigating a Shared Blue Ocean", this year's conference will feature an opening ceremony, four main events, and a series of supporting and concurrent activities. It is expected to attract guests and participants from more than 50 countries and regions. Guangdong Province will serve as the Guest Province of Honor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Harbin Engineering University as the Guest Universities of Honor, and Perpignan, France, as the Guest City of Honor. 
　　The conference is hosted by the People's Government of Fujian Province, and co-organized by the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government, ten Fujian provincial departments (including the Fujian Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology), the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID), and the China-ASEAN Industry Cooperation and Development Promotion Association. 
　　 
　　Source: XINHUA 
　　

Two ancient civilizations, two modern journeys

　　On Aug 15, India marked 79 years as an independent modern nation. A moment not only for national reflection, but also for revisiting the extraordinary and parallel journeys of two of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. India and China both began their modern nation-building endeavors within years of one another in the mid-20th century. As we mark this milestone, it is worth pausing to consider what our two ancient societies have built, what we have learned from one another, and what possibilities lie ahead as both nations continue to rise.
　　Long before the modern age, India and China were already connected, through the movement of ideas, trade and scholarship. With contact over the ages came understanding and the mutuality of benefit: philosophy, medicine, astronomy. Even everyday goods such as sugar, spices, paper and ink traveled across these ancient networks, creating new bridges of contact between our peoples. That tradition of learning from each other's civilizations continued through the 19th and early 20th centuries, as we made our respective journeys toward national liberation and freedom.
　　When India gained independence in 1947, it inherited a society scarred by the trauma of Partition and colonial exploitation. Some 90 percent of India's 340 million people at the time lived below the poverty line, literacy stood under 16 percent, and life expectancy was around 31 years. Even in that adversity, India's founders chose a path grounded in constitutional democracy and pluralism for all citizens, regardless of race, religion or gender, and thereby becoming among the first post-colonial nations to adopt universal adult suffrage. In many ways, this was a continuation of our civilizational democratic ethos. And unlike most other countries that chose such a path after becoming prosperous societies, we did so in the most challenging conditions. China, too, has undertaken a remarkable transformation over a comparable period, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. While our developmental paths have differed, both our nations have shared a common conviction that the well-being of our people must remain at the heart of nation-building, and that it is for the people of each nation to decide on the system that best suits their circumstances.
　　Today, like China, India is a country of rapid transformation. India is among the fastest-growing major economies in the world, sustaining growth of around 7 percent. This transformation has also been underpinned by political stability and a growing degree of policy continuity, providing greater predictability for businesses and investors.
　　Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a decade, among the more remarkable achievements of India are the facts that electricity has reached 100 percent of rural and urban India, and that the proportion of Indians with bank accounts has risen from around 40 to over 80 percent. Today, India records the world's largest number of fintech transactions, over 130 billion a year, across interoperable payment platforms that, much as in China, have all but obviated the need for cash. India is also a space-capable nation with end-to-end launch capability, the world's second-largest smartphone market, and among the fastest-growing populations of internet users, at some of the lowest data costs anywhere.
　　This dynamism is carried forward by the world's largest youthful workforce, with several hundred million Indians under the age of 30, and by a vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem.
　　As two of the world's most populous emerging economies, a stable, predictable and amicable relationship between India and China is not only in the interest of our 2.8 billion people, but is also a significant factor for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the wider world. As Asia and the wider international landscape become increasingly multipolar, India and China both have a stake in ensuring that global governance structures evolve to reflect the aspirations and interests of the developing world.
　　This shared interest finds concrete expression in platforms such as BRICS, which is an important voice for emerging economies on issues ranging from sustainable development and financial architecture to technology cooperation and people-centric growth. As we look toward the upcoming BRICS Summit hosted by India, there is a valuable opportunity to deepen India-China cooperation on issues of mutual concern, from trade and investment to climate action, public health and the digital economy, while contributing constructively to a more balanced, inclusive and equitable global order.
　　Last year, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed that India and China are cooperation partners who are each other's development opportunities. This perspective is in keeping with the long history of mutually beneficial contact between our two civilizations. Maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas is vital to building this partnership. We must build on that foundation, guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, while ensuring that differences, which are natural between nations, do not become disputes. In doing so, our partnership can contribute to the well-being of our two peoples and to a more stable, peaceful and prosperous world.
　　Source: Chinadaily.com.cn

Why is Fujian Worth a Special Trip?

　　 
　　From September 15 to 17, the Delegation of the Political and Business Community in CEEC, consisting of 25 members from 10 countries, visited Fujian. They visited CATL, attended the Belt and Road China (Fujian)-CEEC Business Dialogue, and explored the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys Historical and Cultural Block. Over the three-day trip — from the new energy industry to business dialogue, and then to the culture of ancient alleys — the delegates saw a multifaceted and vibrant Fujian. 
　　 
　　Source: FJICC