On May 28, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Health Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the High-Quality Development of Marine Medicines and Functional Products (hereinafter referred to as the Guiding Opinions). The Guiding Opinions systematically plan for the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation in the marine biomedical sector, and coordinate efforts to strengthen the full-chain innovation system encompassing the "resource chain, technology chain, industrial chain, and application chain," thereby charting the course for making China's marine biomedical industry stronger, better, and larger.
I. The Medicinal Uniqueness of Marine Organisms and Their Immense Development Potential
Oceans cover 71% of the Earth's surface. In particular, the number of undiscovered microbial species in the deep sea and polar regions is estimated to be more than ten times that on land, rendering the ocean an "unknown treasure trove" of new medicines and novel functional genes. First, their unique structures offer significant advantages for source innovation. Having evolved over extended periods in extreme environments, such as high pressure, high salinity, low temperatures, and darkness, marine organisms produce secondary metabolites with novel structures and diverse skeletons, serving as a source of new medicines that cannot be replaced by terrestrial natural products. Second, they exhibit strong bioactivity and high potential for development into medicines. The conversion rate of lead compounds is far higher than that of terrestrial resources, making them more amenable to development into Class 1 innovative medicines or improved new medicines. Third, their distinctive efficacy aligns well with clinical needs. Marine active substances (such as polysaccharides, peptides, and saponins) possess unique therapeutic advantages in inhibiting tumor invasion and metastasis, regulating immune balance, promoting neural repair, accelerating wound healing, and providing antioxidant and anti-aging effects. Fourth, they have a pronounced "medicine-food homology" attribute andbroad application scenarios. Most marine medicinal materials (such as seaweed and sea cucumber) serve both as traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients and food raw materials, making them naturally suitable for the full-chain development of foods for special medical purposes, health foods, traditional Chinese medicine preparations, and innovative medicines, offering substantial cross-sector potential. However, deep-sea and polar biological resources are scarce and difficult to collect, conferring a monopolistic character; their low content of active substances, difficulties in separation and purification, and challenges in large-scale preparation create both technological and resource barriers. Accelerating the exploration and development potential assessment of marine medicinal biological resources plays a fundamental role in supporting the high-quality development of the marine biomedical industry.
The Guiding Opinions propose key measures such as improving the marine medicinal resource preservation system, strengthening the supply security of raw materials for marine biomanufacturing, and enhancing mechanisms for sharing basic resource services. These measures will effectively promote the conservation and efficient utilization of marine medicinal resources, consolidate the material foundation for independent innovation in China's marine biomedical industry, and provide critical support for breaking through resource bottlenecks and ensuring sustainable industrial development.
II. Marine Biomedical Development as a Highly Interdisciplinary and Technology-Intensive Field
Marine biomedical research spans multiple disciplines, including marine biology, natural product chemistry, traditional Chinese medicine, molecular pharmacology, bioengineering, and clinical medicine, making it a cutting-edge interdisciplinary emerging field. Since the successful development of China's first modern marine medicine, propylene glycol alginate sodium sulfate (PSS), in 1985, China's pace of "seeking medicines from the sea" has been accelerating. To date, China has cumulatively discovered approximately 14,000 marine natural products with novel structures, accounting for about 35% of the global total, with basic research remaining highly active. China has also built the world's largest marine microbial resource repository. However, overall, China's marine biomedical sector still faces challenges such as "more basic research, less clinical translation," insufficient industry-academia-research-application collaboration, a lack of national-level innovation platforms, and poor pilot-scale translation services. Accelerating technological breakthroughs is the key to high-quality industrial development.
The Guiding Opinions propose strengthening support for scientific and technological innovation. First, build high-caliber innovation platforms. Accelerate the development of national-level innovation platforms, and deploy translational medicine platforms for the "Blue Medicine Treasury," along with public service platforms for translation of research outcomes such as proof-of-concept centers and pilot-scale amplification platforms. Second, intensify research on key technologies, and improve the technological and process systems for discovering active substances and their large-scale preparation. Innovate "AI + marine medicine" technologies, build high-quality datasets, develop large AI models for intelligent marine drug discovery. Third, improve the technological system for the development of deep-sea biological genetic resources. These measures will effectively break through the technological bottlenecks and translational barriers in China's marine biomedical sector, accelerating the conversion of scientific and technological achievements into tangible productive forces.
III. Accelerating the Development of the Marine Biomedical Industry Holds Dual Strategic Significance
Accelerating efforts to make China's marine biomedical industry stronger, better, and larger will, on the one hand, effectively safeguard national pharmaceutical and health security and address the "bottleneck" issue in the source of new medicines. Building an independently patented "Blue Medicine Treasury" will help consolidate the nation's strategic biopharmaceutical security baseline and address shortcomings in the prevention and treatment of major diseases. On the other hand, it will foster new quality productive forces in the marine sector. Marine biomedicine is a high-value-added, technology-intensive strategic emerging industry. By 2025, the added value of China's marine medicine and biological products industry had reached 99.6 billion yuan. Developing this industry aligns with the requirements of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the coastal provinces' and cities' goals of "seeking strength from the sea."
The Guiding Opinions set forth breakthrough directions for key sectors, such as marine medicines, marine health foods, marine biomaterials, and marine biomanufactured products, which will accelerate the development of a modern marine biomedical industrial system and effectively enhance the industry's core competitiveness.
With regard to optimizing the industrial geographical layout, the Guiding Opinions encourage all localities to leverage their specific resource and technological advantages to develop industrial clusters with differentiated positioning. Support is provided for Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, and Xiamen to develop distinctive clusters; coastal areas in southern China are encouraged to accelerate the development of tropical marine biological resources. This will foster a development pattern featuring complementary advantages and coordinated linkages.
IV. Strengthening Application Scenario Guidance to Expand the Space for Industrial Development
Marine biomedicine is characterized by high technological risks and long cycles, and faces challenges such as low consumer awareness. There is an urgent need to strengthen application scenario guidance to accelerate the transition of research outcomes from laboratories to practical applications.
The Guiding Opinions propose promoting the application of marine medicines, medical devices, health foods, and new food raw materials; optimizing industry alliance mechanisms; cultivating new consumption trends; and supporting high-quality products in building "China-chic brands." Additionally, they call for strengthening cross-departmental coordination and diversified funding investment to safeguard market promotion. These measures will provide targeted impetus for expanding the space for industrial development.
Source: Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources
2026-07-24
details
On the 30th anniversary of China's accession to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Chinese and English versions of the Assessment Report on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: Achievements, Positioning and Challenges, compiled by the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the Ministry of Natural Resources, were released on the 30th June. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the Convention's historical achievements, legal nature, role and positioning, as well as the problems and challenges it faces.
The report concludes that the Convention is a significant outcome of post-war international rule of law in maritime affairs. It has played an important role in upholding multilateralism, opposing maritime hegemony, promoting maritime cooperation, and advancing sustainable marine development. It has established an open and inclusive legal framework, which has been progressively developed and improved through subsequent implementing agreements.
The report emphasizes that the Convention does not cover all issues in the field of the law of the sea and is not the sole source of the law of the sea. Matters not regulated by the Convention shall continue to be governed by the rules and principles of general international law. Other international organizations, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), also regulate maritime affairs within their respective fields through their own legal instruments. Customary international law continues to play an irreplaceable normative role in maritime affairs, and matters such as historic rights and outlying archipelagos are subject to its regulation.
The report points out that the Convention faces certain inherent difficulties and external challenges in its implementation. These include ambiguities in the wording of certain provisions that are prone to divergent interpretations, as well as emerging issues such as climate change and rapid developments in artificial intelligence and other high-tech fields that were beyond the foresight of the Convention's drafters. Malpractices such as misinterpretation of provisions, abusive litigation and arbitration, and overstepping or expansion of authority, have undermined the seriousness, integrity and authority of the Convention.
The report puts forward three recommendations: First, to view the Convention objectively, comprehensively and in a balanced manner, bearing in mind the history of its negotiation, calibrating its positioning in the modern maritime legal order, and neither underestimating its standing nor overstating its role. Second, to interpret and apply the Convention in a complete, accurate and good-faith manner. Preserve its internal balancing mechanism and resist malpractices that undermine its seriousness, integrity and authority. Third, to join hands in implementing the four major global initiatives proposed by China, so as to address the difficulties and challenges in implementing the Convention and to reform and improve global ocean governance.
The report features representative scholarly comments from renowned international law and law of the sea experts and academics from more than ten countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and Chile. It also draws on publicly available writings and statements by professionals from institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and is supplemented by international judicial precedents, as well as official documents and publications of the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
Source: Xinhua News
2026-07-22
details
How did a thousand-year-old cultural icon inspire the name of China's AI-powered weather early warning system? When ancient tradition meets artificial intelligence, MAZU tells more than a Chinese story - it demonstrates how technology can safeguard lives and serve communities around the world.
Source: FJICC
2026-07-20
details
KUNMING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Cross-border freight transported via the China-Laos Railway has exceeded 20 million tonnes since the line opened in December 2021, marking another milestone for this international rail corridor, local railway authorities said on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday morning, the railway had handled more than 20 million tonnes of cross-border cargo and operated over 23,000 cross-border freight train trips, according to China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd.
Since the railway began operation on Dec. 3, 2021, railway authorities in China and Laos have worked closely to improve freight organization and enhance transport capacity and efficiency, driving steady growth in cross-border cargo volumes.
The railway transported more than 1 million tonnes of cross-border cargo within its first year of operation. The cumulative volume surpassed 5 million tonnes by the end of 2023 and exceeded 10 million tonnes by the end of 2024.
Cross-border freight transport has continued to maintain strong momentum this year. The railway has transported a cumulative 3.16 million tonnes of cross-border cargo so far in 2026, averaging about 17,000 tonnes per day and registering steady year-on-year growth, further underscoring its role as a corridor linking China with Southeast Asia.
The railway now carries goods to and from 19 countries and regions, including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh. The range of commodities transported has expanded from just over 10 categories when the railway first opened to more than 3,800 today.
Source: XINHUA
2026-07-17
details
OFFICIAL WECHAT
Email：
secretariat_21cmcc@163.com
Telephone：
+86-591-83532970
+86-591-83533101
Fax：
+86-591-83531520
Address：
Room 728, Building 3, Eastern Municipal Government Office Compound, 193 South Riverside West Avenue, Cangshan District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China
Set As Default Home Page|Add To Favorites|CONTACT US
Copyright: © 21st-Century Maritime Cooperation Committee Public security record number：35010402351060 闽ICP备2020019451号
